


In Their Eyes

by DamienClarke98



Category: Jeepers Creepers (2001), Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003), Jeepers Creepers 3
Genre: Fanfic, Gen, Horror, Jeepers Creepers - Freeform, Thriller
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:47:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 41
Words: 57,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25913095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DamienClarke98/pseuds/DamienClarke98
Summary: 2 creepers fighting for humans. One to protect and the other one is hunting game. The game is Darry Jenner and his sister, Trish Jenner.One wants to hunt Darry while the other wants to protect him. One finds excitement in his fears and the desire to flea while the other wants to protect him and keep him safe.What will happen when both creepers collide for their human? Who will succeed and who will fall?Which creeper will complete their task?Find out in “In Their Eyes”.
Kudos: 15





	1. -Prologue-

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is a fanfic of JC. I love the movies so its based off the movies but with some added details and people.

It all began thousands of years ago, when the first people came to North America. The vikings were the first before Columbus came.

The vikings came upon a tribe of Native Americans while exploring North America. They pillaged, kidnapped, raped, and tortured the tribes they came across.

That is until they met some of the biggest tribes.

The leader of this group of vikings attempted to vanquish these tribes like the ones before. 

When they attempted to, some of the most powerful spellcasters put a curse on the leader of the vikings.

They cursed him to live forever but the consequence is that he is to remain a flesh eating demon for all of eternity.

When they casted the curse, he began transforming into this creature.  
His skin peels off, revealing almost black, amphibian like skin underneath.

His hair begins to fall out, leaving only white strands in the back. Claw like limbs protrude from the back of his head and wrap around his face.   
His hands become claws and his feet resemble eagle like talons but looks like that of a bat. The final transformation is his new wings.

This once gorgeous human, has transformed into this hideous, flesh eating monster.

He was labeled "The Bat From Hell".

The curse only allows him to be awake for 23 days, every 23 years.

It eats for those 23 days and then goes back into a slumber for 23 years.

An addition to the curse, he must consume human body parts to replace his old and damaged ones.

If he has his arm cut off, he would have to eat a human's arm to regenerate his arm. He was the first of his kind.

That is, until he met his counterpart in what is now called Florida...


	2. -1-

Spring break. Trish, her brother Darry, and college roomate, Alex, finally got their spring break. 

Trish and Darry decided to drive to Florida to see their parents. 

Alex didnt have any family to visit so he tags along with Trish and Darry.   
On their drive, they take the back roads through rural Florida.

Trish let Darry drive her 1960s Chevrolet Impala. While Trish and Darry are in the front seats, Alex is in the back, stuck between duffle bags and garbage bags of dirty clothing.

The windows rolled down, music from the radio blasting. Trish's hair blowing out the window.   
Darry humming the song playing on the radio as they run through an abandoned intersection without stopping.

Trish turns to Darry.

"That was a stop sign...", Trish says. Alex looks at Darry. Trish turns down the radio.

Darry looks over at Trish. "Youre kidding, Right?", Darry asks.   
"In your car, id be kidding.", Trish says. Alex chuckles in the back.

Darry smiles. "You think we're actually gonna run into anyone else on this road? Relax.", Darry says.

Darry turns the radio back up. They continue to drive down the road that sees to be endless.

Alex takes in all the beauty from the meadows and the fields. 

Some time down the road, they come upon a camper. Both Trish and Darry look at the License Plate. 

"Six A Forever", Darry says. He grins to himself. "Thats mine!", He exclaims. "Thats Five to Five. We’re tied up.", He says.

"You 2 are tied up. I cant win sitting back here.", Alex says from the back. 

"True. Maybe let Alex in and get a few.", Darry says. Trish nods, still trying to figure out the meaning of the license plate.

"What does it mean?", She asks. "'Six a forever'. What does it mean?", She asks. 

"I dont know.", Darry says. 

"Cause it says 'Sexy Forever', stupid. Thats mine. Thanks five to four.", Trish says. 

Alex chuckles in the back. "Since when did you become better than me at this game?", Darry asks.   
"Since we were ten. It involves English and Reading.", Trish says. Alex chuckling at each time they argue or play fight. 

Darry shakes his head. He steps on the gas. He goes into the oncoming lane to pass the camper.

As Darry zooms past the camper, Trish glares at him. "Come on, Darry.", Trish says. 

As they pass the camper, an older man, maybe in his 60's or 70's, driving the camper.   
His wife in the passenger seat. They glare down at Trish as they speed past them.   
Alex could see the look on the old man's face. He looks at the man. The man sees him and suddenly his entire face changes.

They pass the camper and speed forward. Darry looks over at Trish. He grins to himself. 

"Sexy forever, huh?", Darry teases her. She rolls her eyes. 

She looks over at Darry. "You know damn well thats gonna be you in like 40 years.", She says. 

Darry sighs. "Note to self: die young.", Darry pauses and looks into his rearview mirror. 

"Any place but here on this unbelievably endless road.", Darry says...


	3. -2-

They drive a little bit longer down the road. Alex is asleep in the backseat. 

Trish turns to Darry. "You wanna be sucking in exhaust fumes on the interstate?", Trish asks. 

Darry looks over back at Trish. "No. I love stopping at train tracks every 10 minutes.", Darry says.

No further word came from the sister. Alex still asleep in the backseat. 

Darry looks over at Trish again. 

"You know theres usually a reason when you like the long way home.", Darry says. 

Trish looks back over at Darry. "Gee, maybe i just like the country?", Trish says. 

Darry chuckles and rolls his eyes. "Okay.", he mocks. 

Trish rolls her eyes once more. "Just drive, brat.", She hisses. 

"Im only thinking the same thing mom and dad are gonna think.", Darry says. 

She looks back at him. "How come youre driving home for spring break with baby brother?", Darry pauses. 

"Not heading off somehwere with 'Mr. Poly-Sci-Track-Team-Guy?", Darry asks. 

Trish, already annoyed with Darry, looks out into the endless fields and meadows.

"And ill tell you what id tell them: none of your goddamn business.", she hisses. 

A moment of silence passes. Trish begins to change the station on the radio.

"Just saying, if you broke it off with him, you should at least figure out what youre gonna tell mom and dad.", Darry says.

Trish continues to change the station on the radio.

"Besides, they were the ones in love with the guy.", Darry says. 

Darry smiles to himself. After searching, nothing was good for Trish so she turns the radio off, frustrated.

"You wanted the back way home. Thats 10 hours of preachers, and-", 

"Could you just possibly shut up and just drive, Please.", Trish cuts Darry off. 

The whole time, Darry is grinning to himself. 

"You... broke my heart.", Darry begins to sing. Little do they all know, the camper they passed had turned down a different road. 

Not far behind, someone... or something is fast approaching.

"Now i can find... duct tape to put it together for you", Darry continues to sing. 

As Darry is singing, Trish begins to smile. Darry smiles with her.

"Come on, girl. Sing along now.", Darry says.

"Im gonna make you... i thought i wanted to cry... i didnt know your were evil... or that you would hurt me.  
Mr. Poli star track team guy... turns out, your a twit...", Darry sings but is soon cut off by a blaring horn begind them.

A dark truck is tailgating them, blasting their horn. 

"Jesus!", Darry swerves. Alex is immediately awaken from his nap in the back seat.

The truck is almost a black with rust all over. An older truck. 

"Darry!", Alex yells from the backseat. "Whats this guy trying to do?!", Darry says.

Darry looks in his rearview mirror to see the driver of the truck but the windows are heavily tinted.

Darry tries to tell the driver to go around him but the driver appears to ignore him and keeps tailgating while laying on his horn.

"Get out of his way!", Trish yells. Darry tries to go into the other lane and the truck follows.  
Both vehicles are swerving in and out of lanes. "Hes nuts!", Alex says. "Get out of his way, Darry!", Trish yells.  
Darry goes into the right lane one last time. The truck zooms past them, soon becoming a black dot in the horizon. 

All 3 watch breathlessly as the truck vanishes. They catch the rusty and personalized license plate.

BEATNGU

"Jesus...", Trish says, still breathless. Darry moves back into the correct lane. "Shit...", Alex says. 

Once they finally catch their breath, they relax. 

"What the hell was that!", Trish says, still in shock.

"My first guess: Inbreeding!", Darry yells out his window at the now vanished truck.

"Get a load of that thing? Vehicle of choice for five out of ten serial killers.", Darry says. 

All 3 finally catch their breath.

"God, you know what i just thought of?", Trish says. 

Darry pauses. "Kenny and Darla...", Darry says. Trish nods.   
"They died about a hundred miles from here.", Darry says. Trish folds her arms.  
"It was the same highway.", Alex says. Trish looks at Darry and then back to Alex.

"This highway runs the length of the state", Darry says.

"You think it really happened?", Trish asks. "What? That they had to go looking for her head?", Darry says. 

"No. That they never found her. Or him. They only found the car.", Trish says. 

"No, they never found her head. They found the car but they couldnt find thier heads.", Alex says.   
"How do you know all of this, Alex?", Trish asks. "I heard about it. I did a bit of digging and found the artical about it.", Alex says.

"Look at me...", She says, holding her hands up. "Im still shaking.", she says and that shakes her arms.

"You dont think every generation has thier cautionary tale of drinking and driving on prom night?", Darry asks.

"I always heard it was real. That they were the class of '80. After i heard that story, i use to think this was the highway i... would die on.", She says.

"Quiet the cheery thinker, today. Besides, what did 'Poly-Sci guy' do to you, anyways?", Darry asks.

Trish doesnt listen. Her thoughts somewhere else. 

A moment of silence passes. "Beating you...", Darry says. Trish looks at Darry. 

"That was the license plate on that truck. 'B-E-A-T-N-G-U',". Darry says. He turns to Trish.   
"Thats five to five. That ties us up.", Darry says with a smirk.

"You cant call it now.", Trish says. The smirk vanishes. "My ass.", He says. "You have to call it when you see it.", Trish says.

"I was in shock!", Darry exclaims. "Tough shit!", Trish says. 

"What is this? A brand new rule?", Darry says. "Its not a new rule. Its always been this way.", Trish says.   
"Since when?", Darry asks."since always.", Trish replies. Alex, still in shock, sits quietly in the backseat, listening to them argue over a game.

"Since... just now maybe.", Darry says. "Your memories for shit.", Trish says. "No its not.", Darry says. 

They argue back and forth.

"You know, i don't remember there being this many rules to the game.", Darry says, as they stop at another Railroad Track.  
"Of course, when there was, you were the one make 'em. Little Miss Junior Nazi with the Barbie Dolls and the Easy Bake Oven...", Darry says. 

Darry looks down both ways of the track. A cargo train is fast approaching. He starts revving up the engine. 

Trish glares at him. "Dont you dare.", She hisses. "My car.", She reminds him. 

Trish takes a deep breath in. A stench hits her nose. She smells something. She looks in the backseat at Alex. Alex looks at her.   
"What?", Alex asks. Trish looks at a white trash bag. She reaches back and looks into it. Its full of laundry. 

"Your a class act, you know that?", Trish says. 

"Hey, you live off campus.", Darry says. Trish stares at him.   
"You ever try and do laundry in a dorm? What they dont steal they dye pink for you.   
Ive got 12 pairs of rosey-pink jock shorts.", Darry says. 

"Maybe they know something about you, you dont.", Trish says.

"Darry is right. Since i started there, all my nice white cloths are now pink. Shirts, underwear, socks, all of it.", Alex says. 

Trish grabs the car refreshner from the rearview mirror and stuffs it into the bag.

"Hi mom, havent seen you in forever, heres my dirty laundry.", Trish says. 

"You think it smells bad from up there, imagine sitting with it all back here. For the entire trip.", Alex says. 

"Look, its for her, not me. I have to bring home laundry. If i dont, she gets depressed. Like she thinks we dont need her anymore or something.", Darry says.

Trish can see right through Darry. The train passes by. 

"You talk to her lately?", Trish asks. "Yeah. Just to tell her id be home for break and that Alex is joining us.", Darry says.   
"Did she sound like something was going on?", Trish asks. Darry give Trish a subtle look. Trish becomes instantly impatient.  
"Did you listen to her voice?", Trish asks. "Specify please.", Darry says. "I think maybe something's wrong.", Trish says.

"I dont think they're telling us.", Trish says. Trish looks off in the never ending rural. 

"Like you would notice anything past the point of your own selfish little existence.", Trish says...


	4. -3-

The train finally passes and they can continue their trip. 

"If mom and dad were gonna get a divorce, dont you think they'd have it done by now?", Darry asks.

"No. I think they would've waited until we were both grown and off at school.", Trish says. 

"Whatever...", Darry says. 

"Shes not happy. Not even a little bit. Not like they use to be.", Trish says.

"Who is?", Darry asks. Thats when Alex notices something. "Hey...", Alex says. 

"Whats up?", Darry asks. They pass an old abandoned church. Set back from the road. 

"Beating you...", Alex says. They look over and see the abandoned church. "You guys see it?", Alex asks. 

They see the church and the truck parked in view. They see its the same truck that almost ran them off the road.

What they all see next is very odd and freaky. 

A tall dark figure dropping something large and odd down an old drainage pipe in the back of the church. 

"What the hell is that?", Darry asks. The odd object is gone in an instant. Swallowed up by the large mouth of the old protuding pipe. 

Their view is now blocked by the church itself. 

"Dont slow down.", Alex says. "You guys think it saw us?", Darry asks. "What the hell was he doing?", Trish asks.  
"He dumped something down that pipe.", Alex says. "Wrapped in sheets.", Trish says. "Wrapped and roped in sheets.", Alex says.   
"Wrapped and roped in sheets with red stains on it.", Trish says. Darry watches the rearview mirror. "The vehicle of choice for five out of ten what?", Trish says. 

Darry steps on the gas. "I dont think he saw us.", Darry says. "Dont get us killed.", Trish says. "You guys see him?", Darry asks. 

Both Trish and Alex look behind them. Darry also checks the rear view mirror. They check but see nothing. "No. I dont think so.", Alex says.

Thats when Alex notices someone appear high on the old roof of the church. Standing next to the sagging steeple.

"What the-", Alex says, looking harder. It had appeared so suddenly, it could almost be that the figure had jumped up there.

Alex stares at it. "You guys see this?", Alex says. Just the distant figure on the roof, looking after them. 

Some kind of long coat flapping in the wind like a cape. 

"Just get us out of here, Darry!", Trish says. Alex watches at the figure drops from view. Hes gone just as quickly as he appeared.

Trish looks back at Alex. Alex gives Trish a look. Trish looks at Darry. 

"Grab my cell phone!", Darry says. Alex digs through Darry's stuff. "Where?", Alex asks frantically searching.

"My gym bag.", Darry says. Alex gets into his gym bag. He rummages through it and finally finds a phone.  
Alex flips it open. He powers it on and stares back at the church. The phone reads low battery. 

Trish looks at the phone. She glares at Darry. "The point of having a portable phone, idiot, is so that it works when you need it.", She says. 

"I have a power cable for it.", Darry says. Trish hands Alex back the phone.  
"Yeah and i have a cigarette lighter that doesnt work!", Trish hisses.   
Darry starts panicking. "I told you! My car! We should of taken my car!", Darry hisses.

Trish and Alex look behind them. 

In the distance, the dark truck is now leaving the old church and taking the road again. 

"Oh Jesus...", Trish says.

The truck is heading right for them.

"Youve got to be fucking kidding me!", Darry says. 

the engine of the truck being gunned. 

Darry floors it. The little car ripping down the highway as the old truck chases after them.

Darry looks between the Speedometer and the road. Hes hitting 90 and the car is beginning to shake. 

Alex and Trish look back. The truck still gaining speed. 

"What the hells he got in that thing? Hes got it all suped up or something.", Darry says.   
The car speeds down the 2 lane road trying desperately to keep distance between, but the truck continues to gain speed.

"Darry, hes right on our ass!", Trish says. 

"I can see him!", Darry yells. 

The truck is only a few yards from them now. Darry's foot slamming the pedal to the metal.

Alex and Trish staring back at the truck's tinted windshield. Glints in the sun, no driver can be seen.

"Hang on-", Darry says. 

"Darry-", Alex says. "Im gonna try something.", Darry says. 

"Darry, Dont kill us...", Trish says. Darry stares at the gravel road that turns sharply off the highway.

Just as the truck lurches up on their rear bumper, its dark face and grill fill the rear and side view mirrors.

"Darry, what are you doing?", Trish asks.

"Jesus christ-", Alex says but is cut off by a sudden bang. 

The truck slams into the back of the car. All fly forward.  
At its top speed, the car shimmies and shakes. 

Darry weaves in and out of the oncoming lane serveral times before regaining control again.

"I dont believe this-", Darry says but is cut off by the blaring horn of the Truck.

Its a sound they never heard come from a vehicle before. 

It could almost be the deep, guttural sound of a wailing beast.

"What the hell does he want?!", Alex hisses. Trish pops her head out her window. 

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!", Trish yells out. Trish gets back inside just in time as the truck hits the back of the car again.

"Christ!", Darry yells.

Darry sweats profusely. He tries desperately to gain control of the car as it crosses the oncoming lane and roughly lurches into the dirt shoulder.

The car shakes violenly as Darry tries to get it back onto the asphalt again.

Trish screams. A big ditch dead ahead. Darry tightens his grip on the wheel.   
The car spits up dirt, he swings the car back onto asphalt again.

The truck trails them across the oncoming lane and back across the highway.

The horn of the truck continues blaring behind them. 

Darry is almost up to the gravel road that shoots off the two lanes. 

"Hang on!", Darry says. 

Trish looks at Darry. Darry is shaking severely. His eyes full of fear. Alex looks back at the truck.

Its charging ahead at them again. 

"What the fuck is the matter with you!?", Alex screams. 

They are struck again from the back. Darry loses all control of the car.

He tries to swing onto the gravel roadway, but leaves the two lanes at a terrifying speed, unable to negotiate the sharp turn.

They blast through a wooden fence and into an open field. 

Darry slams on his brakes as they rocket into tall grass.  
The windshield is whipped with grass as the car's brake locks up and the vehicle continues to fly foward.  
A cloud of birds flutters out of the deep grass in front of them as inside the car, all are tossed around like a ragdoll. More so Alex than the other 2. 

Alex hits his head on the back of one of the seats. 

Trish tries desperately to tighten her seatbelt. Darry leans into the brake. 

"Goddamnit!", Trish yells. 

The car swings around and stops. Jostling to a halt in some even taller grass and bringing a sudden and eerie silence.

Only the breathing of the three can be heard inside the car. 

That and the sound of the truck's engine pounding away in the distance. 

Out Trish's dirtied window, she can see the highway through the grass. Her and Darry stare out. 

Alex lays in the backseat. Hes been knocked unconscious. 

The old truck isnt even slowing down. It continues at its terrifying speed down the two lanes.  
Both stare after it. Breathless as it disappears into the distance.  
They look at one another. Alex pops his head in between them, startling both of them. 

"You guys okay?", Alex asks. They cant speak. They are still speechless. All 3 are still intact. 

Without a word, Darry opens his door. In some kind of shock, takes a step out. 

Another flock of birds suddenly fly up, blasting out of the deep grass. Ultimately scaring the hell out of him.

"You fuckers!!", Darry hisses.

He picks up a rock and throws it at thier ascending cloud.   
He needed to get his anger and frustration out.   
He picks up another rock. He turns to Trish, who is now standing. 

She stares out onto the highway. The truck long gone by now. 

"You still like the country?", Alex says, getting out of the car. 

Trish turns to Alex and glares at him. 

"The next time Poly-Sci guy pisses you off, im gonna kick his fucking ass.", Darry hisses. 

Trish looks at the car, surrounded by the tall grass. 

They all gather their wits with everything that just happened. Darry drops the second rock. Alex stretches.

He makes sure his head isnt busted open. Once hes in clear, he walks around the car a few minutes. 

Once everyone is calm and collected, they all get back into the car and continue their trip...


	5. -4-

A few minutes passes by. Dirty and scraped, the small car emerges slowly from the tall grass.   
Trish is behind the wheel this time. Darry looks out the passenger window. They back out of the field.   
Through the opening of the wooden fence that they made going in. They roll the car back onto the gravel drive.

Pointed again towards the highway, Trish guns the engine but doesnt move. She looks over at Darry.

"Sounds alright, i guess.", Darry says. Trish rolls her eyes. "Like either one of us know.", Trish says. 

"Hey, i know a little.", Darry says, becoming defensive.

"When your car makes a strange noise, you just buy a new tape, Darry. Thats what you told me.", Alex says.

"Shut up, Alex.", Darry says. Alex chuckles. "Thats what he told me too.", Trish tells Alex.

"Told you? I learned it from you!", Darry says. 

"Asshole"

"Bitch"

"Mama's boy"

"Daddy's whore"

"Dick licker"

"Ball sniffer"

"Ass kisser"

"B-Butt picker", Darry runs out of insults.

"Hah! Repeat! Ass and Butt, you lose!", Trish says. 

The entire time, Alex looks back and forth at them with each insult. 

Darry looks over at Trish and smiles. She does too as well as Alex. They all needed a smile right about now.

Trish rolls to the end of the gravel drive. She stops at the highway and looks both ways.   
Darry suddenly puts his hand on the wheel. "Im thinking past the point of my own selfish little existence now, okay?", Darry begins.

"Where are you getting at?", Alex asks. "What if, that really was a person he dumped down that pipe? What if it was someone still alive?", Darry says. 

Trish just stares at Darry.

"Someone who needs help but doesnt get it. Or does get it 'till its too late.", Darry says. 

"We can get help just as fast by getting to a phone-"

"You know how far we are from the nearest pay phone?", Darry cuts Trish off. "Is this your idea of an adventure or something?   
'Cause this is why girls are smarter, okay?", Trish says. "Hey! We almost got killed and you dont even wanna find out why?", Darry asks.

Trish doesnt like where this is going nor want it going in the direction she thinks it is. 

"We look in the pipe. Thats all we're gonna do.", Darry says. 

"We look in the pipes and if there's nothing there or nothing we can do, we drive to your parents' house and call the cops", Alex says, siding with Darry.

"You know im right.", Darry says. "Bullshit i do!", Trish argues. 

"look me straight in the eyes and tell me im not right.", Darry says. 

She refuses to look at Darry. He knows he has her now. "Come on, right in the eye.", He says.   
She turns and glares are him as she throws the car in gear. "Im not getting out of the car", Trish says.   
Darry smiles because he knows he won. Trish heads out onto the highway. Back towards the old church. 

The car stops on the empty two lanes, just before the old church.

They all regard it. They check the rearview mirrors to see its all clear and empty. They pull into the empty church yard.

"Every bone in my body is telling me not to do this.", Trish says. 

"Where would men be if they spent their lives listening to women's bodies?", Darry asks.

Trish glares at Darry. They roll into the driveway. The old church sagging, gray, and has not been a place of worship in many years. 

They drive around the side. All 3 staring up at the old steeple and the 3 black crows perching on the cross where one arm has rotted off. 

The back of the place is covered in soil. No parking lot. Just moist dirt and leaves. Mulch. Ahead, through the windshield, the large drain pipe sticking out of the ground.

Trish drives slowly towards it and stops a few yard away. Trish looks at Darry. Darry suddenly doesn't look so brave either. 

"We are just gonna look.", Darry says. "You look like youre gonna puke.", Trish says. 

Darry opens the car door and gets out. Alex following close behind. Alex looks out onto the highway and then to the surrounding woods in the back of the church. No one.

Alex moves towards the pipe when the sound of Trish and Darry turns his head. 

"Lets do this and do it fast.", Trish says. 

They approach the pipe warily. Its corrugated metal and sticks out of the ground about 3 feet. 

Angled into the ground, its jagged metal mouth is about 3 feet wide. 

"Drainage pipe or something?", Alex asks. 

All 3 stare down the dark tunnel. A breeze comes out of it... and a terrible stench. 

"Oh my god...", Trish says, covering her mouth and look at Alex and Darry. 

"That breeze has to come from somewhere", Darry says. "Somewhere rank.", Trish says. 

"Doesnt look like a sewer pipe.", Alex says. "Come on, Alex. We cant see anything down there!", Trish exclaims.

"You have a flashlight?", Darry asks. Trish gives him a harsh look and moves back to the car. Darry stares down the pipe.

"Hello?", Darry calls down the pipe. He listens to his voice echo through the pipe.

"Anybody down there?", Alex calls down. Alex's voice carries through the pipe. 

Both Darry and Alex look back torwards the car when the smallest of sounds drifts up the pipe. 

Out of the 2 boys standing there, Alex is the only one who heard it. 

Alex stares down the pipe once more. Somewhere down in the dark, a murmur is heard. A soft, muffled, human sound. 

"Hello?", Alex calls down the pipe again. 

"Hurry up!", Trish yells. Trish brings back a flashlight. Darry grabs it out of her hand. Darry turns it on and aims it down the pipe. 

"Hello?!", Darry yells. "Theres someone down there. I just heard them!", Alex says. "Hello?!", Darry yells once more. 

The light only reveals dark earth at the bottom of the pipe. Some 25 feet down.

"You two are hearing things.", Trish says. Darry tests the strength of the pipe. Its anchored solidly in the ground.

"Dont you even think about it, you two.", Trish says.   
Darry hoist himself into the mouth of the pipe. 

"I told you i heard someone!", Alex says. 

Crouched inside the pipe, Darry stares down the pipe. Holding onto a flashlight with one hand and the lip of the pipe with the other hand. 

"You know the part in scary movies where somebody does something really stupid and everyone hates them for it?", Trish asks. 

She pauses for a second. "This is it!", She says. A small scuffling sound is heard from below.

All 3 hear it. Darry still staring down the tunnel, raking the darkness with the flashlight.  
Darry looks back at Trish. His face says it all. He gives the expression of 'did you hear that?'. 

Darry worms his way further into the opening of the tube. 

"No, Darry!".

"Just let me slide down-".

"Goddammit, Darry!", Trish yells. 

"Just let me get a little way in-".

"You are not going down there!", Trish says.

"Im not. Just hold my feet.", Darry says. As Darry lays inside the tube, flashlight extended, both Trish and Alex grab onto Darry's legs. 

"Anybody down there?", Darry calls down. "God, when was the last time you washed any socks?", Trish asks.   
Alex starts chuckling. "I see something!", Darry says, making the laughter stop.   
Darry strains to look back at the others. Trish is too scared to say a word. "Hello?", Darry calls again.

"Im counting to ten, Darry.", Trish says. "Something is moving down there...", Darry says.  
"Then im letting go, and going back to my car.", Trish says. "Quiet!", Darry hollers back.

"I just saw it again. Something is definitely moving down here...", Darry says. 

Right in front of the flashlight, two massive and terrifying rats appear in front of Darry, darting right for him. 

Darry begins to scream and thrash around in the tube. "Darry!!", Alex hisses.  
"Rats!", Darry yells back. His feet kick up and nails Alex in the face.   
The rodent runs up Darry's shoulders. He continues to thrash and scream. 

Trish tries to keep a hold on Darry while Alex tries to recover. "Its what?!", Trish hollers to Darry.

"Its Rats!", Darry says. Darry didnt even have to tell her as the rats run up his leg, going towards her.

Trish screams, releasing her brother's still thrashing feet. 

Its a tie of who screams louder: Trish stumbling back as the rats leap to the ground,   
Darry as he slides all the way down the pipe,   
or Alex as he is dragged down by Darry because he still had a hold on Darry's leg as Trish let him go. 

2 thuds are heard. Trish charges towards the pipe as the rodents scurry into the leaves. 

"Darry? Alex?", Trish calls down the pipe. 

Her voice echos into the darkness as she stares down.

"Alex? Darry?", She calls down again. Momentarily, both Alex and Darry were unconscious. 

Darry lands on his back while Alex lands on his stomach. Darry is the first to gain consciousness.

He stirs as his sister calls for them. His eyes flutter open. He groans as he gains mobility. 

He grabs his head. "Oww... i fell right on my head...", He mumbles.  
Darry rubs the back of his neck. He winces in the darkness.   
Rust and dust trickle down from the pipe. Darry sits in the dim pool of daylight from above.

He squints up into it. 

"Why did you let go?", Darry asks. "How the hell are you guys gonna get out of there, idiots?", Trish says. 

Darry stands up, looking up the drain pipe.

Alex started to wake up. He pushes himself off the ground. Face is bloody from landing. 

He spits the blood out onto the ground. "Dude, youre nose is broken.", Darry says.   
"Ill fix it. You missing a shoe?", Alex asks, pointing to his shoe dangling from the end of the pipe.   
Darry limps over and grabs his shoe. Alexs take both hands and snaps his nose back in place with a loud pop. 

Darry sees his hand is cut open and his shirt is ripped, revealing the rose tattoo around his belly button.

"We can climb out. Relax your crack.", Darry says. 

Darry bends down and grabs the flashlight outside the circle of sunlight. He switches it on.  
The first thing the light hits, is the edge of something wrapped in bloody sheets. Alex notices it right away.

Darry notices a moment later. Darry stops. This is what they saw being dumped the tube.

"Alex? Darry?", Trish calls again. 

Neither boys bother to answer. Both take terrified steps towards it. 

"Do it then. Climb out please.", Trish says. 

Theres no question. This is most definitely a body. Blood stains on the head and midsection. Sheet around it. Tied with rope at the neck and ankles. 

"Say not so, sis.", Darry says. Trish peaks her head down the pipe once more. "What?", She asks. "Say not so...", Darry says.

Both boys bend to it. Darry more so crouches while Alex simple bends down. 

Both study it. Darry studies the head as he pales. 

"Hello?", Darry says in a whisper. He soon feels like an idiot for talking to it, but does anyways.

"Did we hear you down here?", Alex asks, also talking to it. 

No response. Both swallow harshly. They have no other choise but to touch it. Darry gently touches it's arm. He pushes it, testing it. 

"Darry, What in the holy hell are you doing down there?", Trish asks. 

"We found our body...", Alex yells back. "You found what?", Trish asks, not sure she heard Alex right. 

Darry is still staring at it, paling. "We found the body!", Alex yells.

Darry starts to get up. Hes then grabbed by a hand in the sheets...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the story is based off of the official script from the 1st movie in 1999. If it seems vastly different from the movie, its because its based off the script.


	6. -5-

Darry wails. Lurching away from it, stumbling back. Alex does the same but not as badly.   
The body is moving under its bloody sheets. Twitching. Trying to breath. "Oh god!", Darry wails.   
"Darry? Alex?", Trish yells. "Oh god!!", Alex yells. Alex springs into action and darts towards it. Darry follows his actions. 

Both crashing to their knees. They start tearing at the sheet around its head.

The sheet is being sucked in and out acround the mouth now. Its gasping for air.   
Both are trying to tear the sheet. They try to get a grip on it. The body thrashes.   
Finally, they get their grip and rip the sheet. The sheet tears away. Both Alex and Darry stare in shock. 

Its a young man about their age. Deathly gray, mouth open in mute agony. Eyes wide. Blinking up at Darry.

Darry can only stare in terror. He doesnt know what to do. 

The man tugs at the sheet around his stomach. Alex grabs the sheet and tears at it some more.  
He tears it the rest of the way down his body, stopping abruptly at his waist.   
The young man's bare body has incisions of ugly black stitches, all the way from the navel to the neck.

Darry think he might be sick. Darry looks up into the wide eyes of the young man. 

'What in gods name did someone do to you?', Darry thought.

Both boys stare into the eyes of the man. All feel hopeless. 

"Darry? Alex?", Trish says. "Trish...", Darry whispers back. 

The man's dry, blue lips are opening. The adams apple bobs as he tries to swallow.   
Darry, crazy with fear, leans down. His ear at the man's lips as they part again. "What?", Darry tries to listen to him.

A whispered word come out of his mouth. Choked. Raspy. Unintelligible.

"What did you say?", Darry asks. 

But no more sounds come. Nor breathing. Both boys stare wide-eyed, almost catatonic. 

They both back away from him slowly. 

"I am up here, goddammit. All alone, you guys. Now get your ass up here. Its getting dark.", Trish says.

Her angry voice echos down. Both boys move to a puddle of light and look up at her. 

"Is she dead?", Trish asks. "He.", Alex says. "Come on, before that guy comes back!", Trish says. 

"Trish, we are gonna have to find a way out. The pipe isnt an option. Its too high up. We are under the church.   
We will fine a way out. What we need you to do is wait by the car.   
If you see him coming, you run. You get in that car and you drive to the nearest phone.

I will take care of Darry. Hes in a lot of shock right now.", Alex says back to Trish. 

"What about you guys? I cant just leave you guys.", Trish says. "Just do as i say. Trust me.   
I will do everything in my power to protect Darry if he happens to come back.", Alex says. 

"Okay. Im trusting you, Alex. I swear to god. If he gets killed, im killing you. Literally.", Trish says.

"I give you full permission to do so. Go wait by the car. If anything, lay on the horn and then take off.", Alex says. 

Trish agrees and goes back to her car. She waits for them and looks out for the truck.

Darry and Alex begin exploring the basement to try and find a way out. Everything is covered in cobwebs and spiderwebs.   
Dust and dirt all over. A lot of old stuff. They see it as an old basement and everything just seems to be storage long forgotten, covered in dirt and webs.

Darry holds the flashlight as they explore. Darry then notices his shoes untied and figured he should at least tie his shoe.

He bends down and ties his shoe. Alex is looking at all the old junk on old tables.

At this time, something wet hits Darry's shoe. He looks at the wet spot for a moment. 

Darry draws a breath. The smell is getting putrid.

In the same moment, the light Darry is carrying ascends. There are words over his head. An epitaph, spelled out in bones:

WHERE THERE'S A HELL, THERE'S A WAY

Darry really gets the chills now. He doesnt wanna know if the bones are human or not. 

Arranged as they are, on a high arch that leads into a larger, darker subterranean room.

He notices a hand sticking out of the wall. All the while, Alex is looking at all the junk laying around.  
Darry's light falls over the protruding limb. The skin on its splayed fingers looks petrified.   
'Is that a human hand?', Darry thinks to himself. No question: the rest of the body is part of the wall. 

Skin leathered with age. Like some kind of human beef jerky. Teeth infected with termites. 

Head back, mouth open in a scream long gone silent. A body in a wall.

But more light reveals more horror. A wall of bodies...

"Oh god... oh god...", Darry says. Alex hears him. He turns to Darry. "Darry?", Alex says. 

Alex soon sees what Darry sees. A vast room ahead, a wall with dozens of these mounted corpses.

Men and women of all ages. Body after body. 

Stitched together in a hideous tapestry. Large stitches. Identical to those just uncovered beneath that bloody sheet. 

Alex grabs the flashlight from Darry. Darry freezes in fear. 

Alex swings the light to the other side of the chamber. Another grotesque mural of the dead, extending deep into the darkness ahead. 

God knows how many bodies are down here. 

Darry takes a step forward, drawn by his own need to prove none of this can possibly be real.

Some bodies are turned away. Skeletal heads looking back over their shoulders, petrified backsides showing more stitches. 

Several are as armless as the Venus DeMilo. 

Some missing other limbs. Head, feet, genitals, and the list goes on.

Alex grabs Darry and turns him around. He cups Darry's face in his palms.   
He makes Darry look him in the eyes. Its at this moment Darry had noticed that Alex has two different eye colors.  
One is an emerald green. The other is a deep blue like the sky on a clear and sunny day. A nice blue and green. He didnt notice it before. 

"Hey, keep it together, Darry. Focus on me. Nothing else. Just me. We will be okay. 

We will get out and we will get to your parents' house.", Alex reassures Darry.

Darry's growing repulsion moves him faster. Darry begins to feel like an ant as he realizes how big this place is. 

Deeper along the hideous walls, Darry turns abruptly. Two withered corpses in the tapestry.

On the finger of one, a large ring. An old varsity ring. His beam reflecting off its dusty jeweled surface.  
Darry stares at it with unquestionable recognition. Alex sees and he too knows exactly what it is. 

Both look slowly to the corpse beside the first one. A girl? Once? Her incision is all around her neck. As if her head had been severed and then sewn back on.

The boys continued to try and find a way out of the basement...


	7. -6-

Trish parks at the corner of the old church, keeping an eye on both directions of the empty highway.

Watching the long shadows as the sun drops. 

She feels something creeping over her and looks up. The sun is dropping behind the steeple of the church. 

The shadow of the tower slowly falling on her. She sits anxiously in its growing darkness. She continues to wait for the boys to come out.

A crow starts cawing and scares Trish. She glares at the crow as several other ones join it. 

It isnt long before two headlights appear in the distance down the highway.   
Trish instantly becomes afraid. She stares the truck down. 'Could this be him?', she thought to herself.  
Trish looks back at the church. 'Where the hell are they?', she says to herself. The headlights get closer. The vehicle is big.

The truck? She is suddenly unreasonable with panic. She doesnt know what to do. 

The lights of the oncoming vehicle start to show on her face.

She ducks under the dashboard. She can hear the engine. Heavy like the truck.

She reaches up from below and starts turning the key. 

The engine wont turn over.

The lights really bright now. Its almost upon her. She turns the key again. "Goddammit, Start!", She yells. 

Trish's eyes begin to well. Lights filling the interior of the car. The engine finally sparks and shes ready. 

But the lights are now passing and she peeks over the dash at nothing but an old pick up truck continuing on down the highway.

Trish sits back up. She calms down now that the truck has finally passed. 

Her heart finally slows down. That is just for a moment. Trish screams after someone startes smacking on her window.

A dark face is looking at her. Eyes wide and etched in the dying light of the truck passing. 

A second person is seen at the hood of the car. Once Trish is focused again, she sees its Alex who was hitting the window and Darry at the hood of the car. 

Darry, almost comatosed, stares intensely at her. 

"Goddammit, you guys!", Trish yells. Both stare at her. "Youre both assholes!", She hisses. 

She sees something is very wrong as they both stare back at her. 

Trish gets out. Darry has become mute and cant speak. Alex isnt as comatosed as Darry.

Trish gets them both into the car. Darry lays in the backseat and Alex sits in the front. Trish gets behind the wheel. 

She looks over at Alex. Hes staring blankly forward.

Trish starts driving. Its silent. The highway rushes past them. She keeps throwing looks at Alex. 

Both still as a statue. Both faces are dirty. Alex has blood from his nose running down his face.

Darry's bloody hand wrapped up with a piece of his shirt. Alex's eyes staring ahead.

Oncoming headlight comes. Both Alex and Trish study it. Just another truck. It passes by. 

They soon see a sign:

Trentdale — 25 miles

Both watch as it flies by. She looks over at Alex again. 

"Would one of you please just say something?", Trish says. 

"I meant it. Youre both scaring the hell out of me.", she adds. 

Alex's voice as subdued as she has ever heard it. "We saw them, Trish... Kenny and Darla... Class of 80'.", Alex says.

She just stares.

"They were down there... both of them.", Alex says. He holds up his hand.   
"I saw his ring... He was still wearing his Varsity ring.", Alex says.   
"Darry said that happened a hundred miles from here.", Trish says. 

"I know what he said. Me and Darry saw them with our own fucking eyes. All dead and dried up down there with a bunch of others.", Alex says.

She is more frightened by his and Darry's state than his words. 

"Dont tell me you dont believe us, alright!", He hisses, pointing a finger at her.   
"Dont make me tell you everything we saw down there 'cause you dont wanna hear it, okay?", Alex adds. 

Alex's eyes fill with angry tears. Everything goes silent again. Alex drops his head against the window. 

Darry has silent tears streaming down his face as he listens to Trish and Alex.   
Trish looks at the fuel indicator. Only a quarter of a tank left.   
"She did lose her head...", Darry says from the back seat. 

Trish looks in the rearview mirror at Darry. He sits up and is staring out the window into the passing sunset.

"Darla lost her head like they said.", Darry says, looking at his sister's reflection in the rear view mirror.

"And you know what he did, Trish? You know what he did for her? He sewed it back on.", Darry says. 

Darry lets out a small chuckle as if he has gone crazy. Trish questions if he has hearing his chuckle.

"Sewed it right back on.", Alex repeats after Darry. 

Trish continues to drive. Trish's Sedan rambles off the two lanes, towards a cluster of buildings under the early night. 

They see a weathered and aging sign that reads:

Welcome to Trentdale  
Population: 517

Both boys look at each other. None of them want to stop. "We have to stop or we are not gonna make it home.", Trish says. 

She continues on towards the only lights. A restaurant and gas station combined. 

The tall sign stretching into the stars announce plainly: 

DELROY'S GAS AND FOOD 

Trish pulls in. She rolls up under the hot white neon light over the gas pump. She looks at Alex. 

"You gonna make a phone call?", Trish asks. Alex nods and opens the car door. 

All 3 get out of the car. "Throw some water on yourselves. You guys look like you just crawled out of a sewer.", Trish says. 

Alex moves with fatigue towards the diner. Several cars and big trucks parked around it.

Trish moves to the pump and sees theres a padlock on it. She grabs it and starts yanking on it. She turns to Alex. 

"Alex?", Trish calls out to him. He turns around and looks at her. "Pumps are locked.", She says. 

She watches as he turn and move inside. 

Alex steps inside the diner. Its darker than he expected it to be. He stares ahead. Etched in the light of a cigarette machine.

He must look pretty bad because those who do catch a glimpse of him, take another quickly.

Like the plump waitress eye-balling him. Shes 50 something or so. He name tag read Beverly. 

"Restrooms are for paying customers, kiddo.", She says. 

"Could we get some gas, please?", Alex asks. His voice is small.

The woman looks out the window, sees Trish leaning against the car and Darry laying his head on the roof.

"Pumps lock at 8 o' clock.", the waitress says. 

Alex doesnt have the energy to argue. He looks back outside to Trish and Darry. 

"Lights are still on.", Alex says. "Arnie, you got the pump lights on again!", She says.   
"We really need some gas.", Alex says. "You look like you need more than just gas, kiddo.", Beverly says.

Trish is fit to be tied. She storms towards the diner. Darry following close behind. She curses under her breath.  
They are only feet away from the door when they hear that oh so familiar engine. They both look in the direction of the engine.

It was the truck. Theres no questioning it. Trish knew it was. She spots it instantly. Sailing down the highway. Speeding past Trentdale. 

Both knew he was heading back to that old abandoned church...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is gonna be an all in one. All three movies in one story. The order of movies is 1, 3, 2 since thats how the movies are played out. 
> 
> After each movie is done being added to the story, it will be put on hiatus so i can work on other stories on here. 
> 
> Theres gonna be some good stuff revealed in the next few chapters. I also wanna put it out there that this is all my little brother’s idea.
> 
> He is the one who came up with the idea. Both me and him wanna do remakes with this new character. Maybe in the future we can. We will see


	8. -7-

Trish bursts into the diner with Darry close behind. Patrons stare at her and Darry. Two truckers especially.

They dont make eye contact with her, but she knows the look. Beverly poors coffee for them.

"Pump locks at 8 o' clock-"

"This is an emergency!", Trish says, cutting the waitress off.

Her raised tone turns more than a few heads. "We need you to please call the police. Right now.  
Please get them here right away.", Trish says. Beverly stares at her, angering Trish.

"Someone is dead! Can you please just call someone?!", Trish hisses. 

Trish meets the eyes of other patrons who have heard this. A family with two small children, eyes wide staring back at her.

"Someone's dead? Where?", Beverly asks. "Are you gonna call or not?", Trish asks. 

Beverly regards her a moment longer and starts back towards the kitchen.   
The Men's room door is open and Alex comes out. Washed.  
Darry goes in after Alex comes out. He looks better. That is until Trish rushes at him. 

"We saw him! We saw the truck!", She hisses. Alex instantly panics. He runs towards the window.

"Me and Darry think hes heading back to the church.", Trish says. 

"Are you sure it was the truck?", Alex asks. "You think im gonna forget what it looks like?", Trish asks.

Trish lets out an anxious sigh. She falls against the wall between the cigarette machine and the payphone. She holds her face in her hands. 

Darry come back out to Alex and Trish. "Come on, Big sis. Hold it together.", he says. 

She stares at the floor. She refuses to look up at him. Darry crouches down and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, just hold it together.", He repeats himself. "Think of a time.", He says. 

"I dont wanna think of a time.", Trish says. "I got one. You were twelve 'cause i was nine.", Darry says. 

"Just shut up, Darry.",She says.

"And we found that big fat potato bug out in the backyard? Remember how big it was, with the feeler things on its head?

You bet me $5 i wouldnt be brave enough to eat it.", Darry says. Trish looks up at him. 

“You remember 'cause i swallowed it. Whole. I could feel it crawling down my throat.   
Thought it was gonna make me sick but i had to prove to big sis that 'i wasnt afraid of nothing'.   
Then when i finished swallowing it, you didnt want to pay me the $5 so you yelled 'mom! Darry ate a bug!'.", Darry says.

He sees a faint smile on Trish's face, making him smile a little too. 

"Remember? I got spanked and taught about not putting dirty little things in my mouth?

Remember? What a nasty little bitch you were?", Darry says. 

Trish smiles at him as much as shes able to. 

Darry thinks he cheered her up, but her eyes well up with tears as quickly and she says in a frightened whisper:

"I am so scared, Darry. He is gonna get back to that church and hes gonna know we were down there.", She says.

Thats when the payphone rings loudly beside them and she screams. 

The entire restaurant is looking at her now. Beverly on the phone by the registers stare over.  
Along with a roundish, furry looking man of fifty or so. The manager of the establishment. 

Her and the two boys stare back at everyone, embarrassed. The phone rings again.

Darry waits for someone to come over and answer the phone. The phone rings a third time.

"You gonna get that?", A man by the jukebox asks. 

The man then drops a coin in the slot of the juke. Trish picks up the reciever. 

"Yes? Hello?", the voice says on the other end. Sounds like woman and her voice seems ugent. 

"Hello?", Trish says. "Are you wearing a whit shirt with an emblem on the sleeve?", the woman asks.

"Am i what?", Trish asks. "Blue jeans? Are you wearing blue jeans?", the woman asks.   
A confused look is shared from the boys to Trish. "Please. You have to tell me.", she says. "I-what?", Trish says.

Darry takes the phone from Trish. "Who is this?", he asks. "Darry, hang up!", Alex says.

"Darry? Youre Darry?" The woman asks. Darry doesn't respond. 

"I dont know exactly what you look like Darry, but you have very big and very beautiful blue eyes. Am i right?", she asks. 

Darry stares at the other two in utter confusion. 

"They're big, they're blue, and they're beautiful.", She says. 

Darry is now panicked. She can see him or so Darry thought. He moves quickly to study the faces in the diner.  
He gets yanked back when the phone cord wont reach. "Please dont be frightened.   
Youre wearing a pair of blue jeans where the third belt loop is torn.", she says. Darry wonders why she is saying all this. He looks at his pants. Third belt hoop: torn. 

"Your shirt, its ripped around the belly botton. Exposing a rose tattoo. Your hand is wrapped by the fabric of your shirt.  
I know how you tore both too. You tore it on the jagged edge of a metal pipe.", she says.

Darry really in shock now. He stares at Alex and Trish. Trish crowding in to listen with him. 

"Can you hear me?", She says. "You were out there?", Darry asks. "I dont have time to explain.", she says. 

"You were out there at the church?", Darry asks. 

"Have you seen the other one?", She asks. "The what?", Darry asks. "the other one.   
That thing at the church with the truck? There are 2. Have you seen the other one?", she asks. 

"Look, who are you and what kind of shit are you trying to pull?", Darry asks. 

Darry had become loud. The man at the jukebox turns to look. So does the old woman at the cigarette machine. 

"I dont know how to make you listen. The truck. I saw the truck too. With the license plate.", She says.

"Beating you?", Darry asks. 

"No, not 'beating you'. Think about it again.", she says. Darry is confused once more. 

"I need you to wait for me. Im about an hour away. can you do that?", she says. 

"Who the hell am i talking to?", Darry asks. "I have something very important you have to hear from me.   
I dont know how to make you believe me but its true.", she say. "Im hanging up-". "Theres a song!", she says, cutting Darry off.

Darry looks once again confused at his sister. 

"Jeepers Creepers. Do you know it? Its an old song.", She says. 

Darry can faintly hear music in the background. The woman takes the phone and she puts the phone by the record player.

The velvet tones of Mel Torme singing can be heard. "Jeepers, creepers, where'd get those peepers?", The song plays.

"Been recorded a million times.", she says. 

"Can you hear it?", she says. "What about it?", Darry asks. "Listen, very Carefully.", She says. 

"Look, i dont know what the fuck you're talking about-".

"You hear that song? Run. You listening to me? That song means something terrible is about to happen to you-".

"Screw you, Lady-".

"Something so terrible you could never imagine it-", Darry cuts her off by hanging up the phone angrily. 

He moves quickly to look out over the eatery. 

"You sure you saw that truck out on the highway?", Alex asks. "I think the driver might be in here. On a cellphone.", Darry says. 

"That sounded like a woman.", Trish says. "Well, why couldnt it be a woman? We dont know who it is. 

He rushes to the cigarette machine. He looks out into the parking lot. 

"Somebody is messing with us, thats for sure. She knew everything!", Darry says. 

"What did she want?", Trish asks. Darry turns and regards his sister. 

"For us to wait around, which is exactly what we're not gonna do.", Darry says. 

"She mention there is another one...", Darry says. "Another one of what?", Alex asks. "Another 'thing'. Like the driver of that truck.   
She called it a thing. Like its some kind of of creature. She asked if i saw the other one. Theres 2 she says.", Darry says. 

Alex tenses up. "Alex? You okay?", Trish asks. Both notice his immediate reaction to Darry explain what the lady was saying.

"No, im fine. Just trying to understand all of this shit.", Alex says. He looks out the window. He sees something in the sky. 

Trish and Darry go off and talk at a table. Alex knows what it is and it wont be long before they too, know what they are dealing with...


	9. -8-

The jukebox finishes its selection. The mechanical arm replaces the 45 and selects another. The place fills with music again. 

Trish and Darry are at a table in the back. Alex comes walking back to them. Beverly steps up to them with a coffee pot. 

"You kids wanna piece of pie, coffee, or something?", she asks. 

They shake their heads no, staring at 2 state troopers at the counter, conferring with the manager.

"Let me know if you change your minds.", she says. 

"You think they believe us?", Trish asks. "All they have to do is drive out to that church. They'll believe every word.", Darry says.

"I dont know if i would.", Alex says. Both look up at Alex. "Sounds too much like somebody's bad dream.", Alex says.

"You dont think thats it, do you? We're dreaming?", Trish asks. Darry doesnt answer. 

The juke box fills the silence. 

"Maybe we are having one of those dreams like in the twilight zone where we are already dead.  
You know? We died out on the road and we just dont know it?", Trish asks. "I wanna be home. In my room. In my bed.   
Ripping up every Tales from the Crypt and Fangoria i own.", Darry says. He looks at Trish. He tries to smile. 

He looks so fragile. "We will get home, you know?", Trish says. He nods, feeling foolish. 

"Jeepers, Creepers, where'd you get those peepers? Jeepers, Creepers, where'd get those eyes?", the juke box plays. 

Sinatra. Darry's blood runs cold. Face suddenly ashen.

He stares across the diner at the juke box. Trish and Alex watching him strangely.

They try to follow his line of sight. 

"Gosh all get up, how'd they get so lit up...", the song continues. 

He stands up and looks down at Trish and Alex. 

"Gosh all get up, how'd they get that size?", the song continues some more.

"Darry?", Trish calls for him. He moves now. He moves through the diner as if drawn by the melody.

"Golly gee, when you turn those heaters on. Woa is me, got to put my cheaters on...", they listen to the song. 

Trish watches him from the table. Trish starts wondering if hes gone out of his mind. 

Patrons stop their eating to watch him as he passes by in some confused trance.

The song continues to play in the back. 

Darry is at the Juke box. He stares down into its glow. Darry starts to believe he must be losing his mind.

His own striking eyes even more beautiful in the golden glow of the machine.

The song goes instrumental. He looks back at Trish and Alex. 

The troopers are now at their table. Trish looks back at Darry. He moves back quickly. 

Officer Robert Gideon is a tall, powerful looking Native American. Strong face and piercing eyes.

His partner Officer Natasha Weston is a capable looking woman of 30 or so. 

"I was just telling your sister, we're running the plates and we've got a unit on their way out to the old church.", Officer Gideon says. 

"Darla Cleeway and Kenny..."

"Brandon", Trish says, finishing Darry's sentence.

"Found their car all smashed up 'bout 20 years ago? Am I remembering this right?", Officer Gideon says.   
Darry nods as does Alex. "Those bodies would be nothing but bones by now.   
You 2 said he still had skin on him and a ring on his finger.", Officer Gideon says. 

"What are you trying to say, Officer?", Alex asks. "Not saying anything-", Officer Gideon start but is cut off.

"I told you, i grabbed one of them! It was hard. Like petrified wood! Like he perserved them or something. I dont know.", Darry hisses. 

"Well then how do you know they were even real bodies?", Officer Gideon asks.

Darry and Alex both are thrown by this. Both stares at the officers. 

"Look, all im trying to do here is get the facts straight-"

"And we are telling you the facts! This guy drives a old dark truck and it nearly killed us!", Darry hisses, cutting Officer Gideon off.

"We saw him throw a body down the pipe, that dumps into a cellar under that old church.", Alex says. 

"We saw the body. He was a guy about our age and he was still alive, except that he had been split from his neck to his naval and then sewn back up again.", Darry adds to Alex. 

"Now, this guy must have a hundred, maybe two hundred bodies down there, and we have seen them!", Alex says.

"Hey-Hey-Hey", The manager comes out, hearing them raise their voices.

He doesnt like this grizzly talk, loud enough for people to hear.

"I mean, this guy must be the Heavyweight champ of all serial killers.", Darry says, lowering his voice.

Its at this time that Officer Natasha Weston is the first to notice people standing from their tables and moving to the restaurant windows.

"Dont believe us? Just drive out to that church and see for yourself.", Darry hisses.

"No one is saying youre lying, Darius-"

"Its Darry. Darius is my name, Darry is for short.", Darry cuts Officer Gideon off again.

Theres a quite a crowd at the windows now and all 3 see it.

"And i said we were doing everything we know how to do", Officer Gideon says. 

They step past Officier Gideon tawrds the dining area. Waitress Beverly just coming back in the front doors. 

She looks directly at Trish. Her eyes and facial expression shows fear and they all 3 could see it...


	10. -9-

All 3 blast out into the brisk night. Beverly right behind them. Ahead is their car, still in the shadows at the pumps. 

However, the left rear door is open and spilled out onto the asphalt is Darry's dirty laundry. 

The officers join them, watching the trio move quickly towards the car. 

"Someone saw them from the windows.", Beverly says. The trio stop and turn to her.   
She nods back to the patrons staring out from inside. "Thought they had to be kidding.", Beverly says.   
"Saw what?", Trish hisses. ""The man out there by your car!", Beverly says. The 3 and officers look for him. 

"Well, he already ran off!", Beverly says. 

"A man?", Trish asks. "More like a pervert.", Beverly says.

"Thats why everyone was watching. He was outside the car there, sniffing that laundry.", Beverly says.

All stare at her. 

"He was holding handfuls of it under his nose. Looked like he was liking it too.", Beverly states. 

Darry is at the car now. Shirts, socks, shorts all spilled out of the bags and basket. Darry looks back at the other 2.

"Which way did he run off to?", Officer Weston asks. 

Beverly looks back at the patrons at the window. She hollers to one of the truckers. 

"Which way did he run off, Billy?", She says. A trucker at the window points out, beyond the pumps, down the empty and shadowy street.

"It was him...", Trish starts. She looks at the officers. "He had time to get to the church and then get back here.", She says.

"Alright, we dont need anymore excitement than we already have-"

"This guy is after us!", Darry yells, cutting Officer Gideon of once more. He grabs fistfuls of laundry and throws it in the car.

"Hes after us 'cause he knows what we saw!", Darry continues. 

The Officers stare at one another. Officer Weston gets on her walkie-talkie. "Central, this is 037. Come back.", She says. 

Alex notices something on the handle. He looks to the officers.

"Hey, you guys interested in a hand print?", Alex says.

Trish, Darry, and the Officers move quickly towards him.

Officer Gideon squats with Alex at the open car door. They look at the surface of the car door handle. 

Its smudged with some kind of find gray powder. 

"You can dust it right? Get a print?", Darry asks. "Looks like someone already did.", Officer Gideon says.

He looks at his partner. A breeze comes and the "prints" start to blow away.   
Gideon thinks fast. He whips out an evidence bag and catches some of it as it blows into the wind.  
"What the hell is that stuff?", Darry asks. "Gonna find out real quick.", Officer Gideon. 

Officer Weston gets back on her walkie-talkie. "Central, this is 037. Do you copy?", She asks. 

"Can we please get some gas now?", Trish asks. "Everybody just keep calm. Everything's gonna get taken care of.", Officer Gideon says.

As the Officers talk with Darry and Trish, Alex begins sniffing around. They begin heading into the diner.  
Darry and Trish stop and turn to Alex, who is standing by the car. "Hey, you coming?", Darry asks.   
Alex shakes his head. "Im gonna get this stuff cleaned up. See if we can get gas now, please.", Alex says.

They all head back in. Alex takes the last remaining cloths and put them in the car. 

He gets down to the door handle. He begins sniffing the door handle. 

He tries to do it secretly by getting cloths off the ground. He reconizes the smell. He knows who and what it belongs to.

He stands up from the ground. The wind blows and he smells him. He looks up at the "Delory's food and gas" sign.  
Thats when Alex sees him. He makes eye contact with this thing. A dark figure perched on the sign.   
His long black coat flapping in the wind as he stares down at Alex. Both make eye contact with one another. 

"I know who you are and i know what you are. You will not hurt him. Hes mine.", Alex says. 

He knows they heard him, even though it was more of a whisper.   
Alex whispers the creature's name. He heard it. He almost had forgotten his name.   
Alex spoke it in another language. Almost a dead language to today's world. 

Trish comes out. "They are letting us pump some gas.", Trish says. They unlock the lock for the pump. 

They fill up and within the hour, are back on the road again...


	11. -10-

Trish's car flies down the starlit highway. Headlights burning into the night. Behind them, another pair of headlights follow. 

The lights come from the Police car of Officer Weston and Gideon. Alex looks back at them. 

"They're still back there.", Trish says. "Ill bet having a good laugh too.", Darry says. 

"You still dont think they believe us?", Trish asks. Darry doesnt answer. "How did he get up on the roof of the church?", Alex asks.

"How did he what?", Darry asks. 

"It looks like he jumped up there to you?", Alex asks. "Onto the roof of a building?", Trish asks. 

Alex feels kinda dumb asking. He stares out the window. 

"What the hell was he doing with your cloths?", Trish asks. She smirks suddenly. Then laughs.

"Maybe he can leap tall buildings in a single bound. I mean, he would have to be superhuman, otherwise the smell would have killed him.", Trish says. 

At the same time, Officer Gideon and Weston in their car escorting them. Officer Gideon is driving. Their radio sounds.

"This is central, 037 come back.", the voice says from the radio. "Go ahead.", Officer Weston says.   
"Higgs and Corely just radio-ed back from the old church on East 9?", The radio says. "Go ahead.", Officer Weston says. 

"Its on fire.", The radio says. Both Officers stare at one another. "Burning out of control, with Fire and Rescue on their way.", the radio says.

Back in the car ahead, Darry watches Trish. She keeps checking her rearview mirror. 

"Dont tell me you actually like him.", Darry says. "Get real.", Trish says. "Oh god...", Darry says.   
Darry looks to the cop car behind them. "Should'a known. Hes big, dumb, and stupid.", Darry says.   
"Unlike the Brainiacs you take out. Brainiacs only if their brains came in two, lift and separated.", Trish says.

"You're probably gonna marry a cop. You have a thing for guys in uniform or something?", Darry asks. 

"Well, they're not quite as easy as the bimbos you flash those Bambi eyes at. Watch 'em fall down with their legs apart.", Trish says. 

Darry suddenly doesnt like what she said. Reminds him of the phone call. He remembers the questions the lady asked about his eyes.

His sister checks the rear view mirror once more.

"I did notice he was a little more interested in getting the story from you two than me.", Trish says.

Her looking in the mirror begins to make Darry paranoid.   
"Would you stop looking back there? He's gonna think youre easy.", Darry says.

"He did have a nice ass.", Trish says. Darry scoffs. "Yeah. I know. He was talking out of it.", Darry says. 

Darry cranks up the radio. Some angry rock music blares. 

Back in the cop car, more things becomes unraveled. 

"Plates are fake. Description of the truck those kids gave, corresponds to a model from 1947. We are talking antiques now.", A voice says over the radio. 

"These kids said the truck chased them doing well over a hundred miles, go ahead.", Officer Weston says.  
"You guys ever stop to think these kids might be trying to pull off some kind of major hood wink?", the voice says over the radio.

"Come again?", Weston says. "The preliminary came back on that dust you took off the car door handle? Its dead skin.", They say.

At that moment, something hit the roof of the cop car. Both Gideon and Weston stare up at the roof. 

"Not just dead skin. Long dead. Thats why it was powder.", they say over the radio.

Trish and Darry staring ahead with music blasting from the radio. Neither one looking behind them. 

Alex looks back. He is once again eye to eye with this thing. Something black with a cape whipping in the wind, perched on the roof of their escort car. 

Alex waves his hands and everything he could to alert the officers that theirs something on top of their car.

Gideon and Weston go back and forth with Central.

"I mean they wouldnt be the first kids to go and ransack a cemetery for spring break.", Central says. 

"What are you saying? They burnt the church down too?", Weston says. 

"You wanna believe that or a hundred and fifty-year old corpse opened that car door?", Central asks. 

"Say what?", Gideon asks, taking the walkie from Weston. 

"Thats a ballpark on how old that powdered skin is.", Central says. 

Thats when another sound comes from the roof of the police car, startling both Officers.

"Hold on, Central. The sky is falling.", Gideon says. A puzzled officer Weston rolls down her window.   
She takes her seat belt off and raises from her seat. She sticks her head out the window to get a look up top.  
Weston stretches higher now, looking out over the roof of the cop car. What she sees move so fast in the windy night, she cant even react. 

Weston's body is yanked out of the car through the open window. Gone in one powerful and violent motion.

Her screams swallowed instantly as she disappears.

Gideon is in shock. No time to even turn his head. A large razor sharp blade of a battle axe breaks through the roof of the car. 

Right in front of his face 

The kids still listening to the loud song. The same song playing on the phone. Playing on the juke box. Its just a heavy version.

Behind them, the patrol car swerves erratically. Something dark still riding on top of it. Alex watching all of it. 

"Thats the song!", Darry says. "What?", Trish asks. "This is the song that played on the phone and the juke box!", Darry says. 

Gideon's head is yanked up through a hole ripped in the roof of the car. 

The figure that grips him, rears back with the same razor sharp battle axe, almost medieval-looking.

And in one neat swoop, swings it at Gideon's head.

In the car in front, Trish and Darry freaking out over the song. Alex stares in horror at everything he just saw.  
"Um... guys...", Alex says from the back. "What, Alex?", Trish asks.   
Something big then hits the room of the car hard and fast. It flies down the windshield and off the hood. 

Trish slams on her breaks. Both clutching the dashboard. Alex clutches onto the seats. The cars swings to a halt in the middle of the 2 lanes. 

"What the hell?!", Trish says. They remain frozen. All 3 look out the back window. 

The cop car is angled across the two lanes. It too had made a hurried stop. No movement inside. Dark and silent. Silhouetted in the moonlight.

"What the hell?", Darry says. All 3 looking at one another. Darry sticks his head out the window.  
"Hey!", Darry shouts. His voice echoes into the night. "You okay in there?", Darry shouts.   
All three get out of the car. Alex is ahead of the other 2. "Stay here.", Alex says. Darry and Trish look at him.

Alex takes a tentative step towards the moonlit vehicle. He wishes he could see more.

Darry sees the dents on the roof of the car where the object hit. Dents with a splatter. He touches it.

Its blood. "Alex... Trish...", Darry says. Trish looks back at him. He holds up the red liquid on his hands.

"Hey!", Alex screams at the car. The cop car lights flash on. It startles all 3 and all 3 squinting at it.   
"Get back in the car!", Darry yells. Alex turns to Trish. "Get back in the car.", He says.   
Someone is staring out behind the wheel of the car. Peering at them, through the angry flashes of red and blue.

They see through a windshield splattered with blood...

Alex turns to Trish, who is only a few feet behind him. "Trish, get in the car.", he says. 

Trish is paling. Alex turns to both Darry and Trish. Trish catches sight of something else.

Alex and Darry turn to see what she's looking at. Down the road, just past the police car.   
A roundish thing lays in the middle of the highway, silhouetted in the moonlight. 

Its Officer Gideon's head. It stares back at them with dead eyes. This is what hit them and rolled off the hood.

"Alex...", She says. They all try to make out the face in the flaring lights "Trish... Alex...", Darry says.

The patrol car door opens. All 3 are frozen. Alex turns to Trish and Darry. "Run.", He says...


	12. -11-

Trish stares at Alex. "Go!", He yells. "What about you?", Trish asks. Alex looks back at the police car. 

He turns back to them. "I will distract him. You 2 need to run.", Alex says. "He will kill you!", Trish cries.   
"Trish, i will be okay. I need you 2 to run. You try to keep Darry safe and as far away as possible.", Alex say.   
"Alex! We cant just leave you!", Darry yells. "Darry, i swore on my life to protect my family and friends. 

I wasnt able to protect my family. You 2 are all i have now. You need to run. Now!", Alex yells. 

Both Trish and Darry leap into the car. Trish gets behind the wheel. She grapples for the stick shift in a blind panic. 

Darry just as fast into the passenger seat, slamming the door. 

Thats when they see him. A tall, powerful silhouette rises out the patrol car.   
He turns instantly away from them. "Whoa, did you see that?", Darry asks Trish.   
As it turns, its face glints for a moment in the moonlight. So white because they are just that and nothing else.

No pupil or irises. A trick of the moonlight maybe?

All 3 staring. The car hasnt moved. Trish's hand still on the stickshift.   
The figure walks away from them with a chillingly casual gait. His black coat flappying cape-like.

And in the glare of the flashing red and blue, walks back towards Gideon's head.

Whistling. This thing is whistling a tune the kids have heard on the phone, in the diner, and on the radio. 

All are transfixed. All 3 watching as, with a single hand, the figure reaches down and lifts Gideon's head by the hair.   
It then holds it in both hands, looking at it. It holds the head high.

He holds it high to where its eye to eye with the severed head. It draws the head in. So close it could kiss it.

"Im not seeing this...", Trish says. The figure turns the grizzly thing around now. Does the same with the back of the head.

All three kids realize what he is doing. Smelling it...

"What the hell are we looking at?", Darry asks. 

More horrid disbelief as the figure drop kicks the head, sending it high in the sky and off into the tall grass of the nearby field. 

"Get the fuck out of here!", Alex says. He backs into the back of the car. Trish tries to switch gears but its sticking.   
The creature looks their way. Alex begins banging on the back of the car. "Fucking go! Go! Go! Go!", Alex says.  
He finally gives one last hit and the car jumps foward and they finally get it in the right gear.

Trish guns the engine and the car screams back down the highway. 

The dark figure watches this. Still as a statue. Alex prepares himself. He makes eye contact with the creature.

"We finally meet again, bastard.", Alex says. The creature scoffs. "Ive waited so long to finally find you. Ive been prepared for when we met again.", Alex says.

He inches towards this thing. They come face to face, only feet apart. 

"Come get some, Motherfucker!", Alex says. His arms up in a competitive way. Both charge at one another.

Trish and Darry speed down the road. "What the hell is that guy?", Darry asks. 

Darry stares out the rear window. Trish looks over at him. "What is that guy, Trish? What did he do to those cops?", Darry asks. 

"Dont know and dont wanna know.", She says. 

"Then why didnt he do it to us? You see the way he looked at us?", Darry asks.   
Darry looks at Trish. "Its like hes playing with us. Like running us off the road was just some kind of game.", Darry says. 

A moment of silence passes. "You think Alex will be okay?", Darry asks. Trish looks at him.   
"He says hed keep him distracted as long as he could.", She says. Darry and Trish both begin to worry about Alex. 

Back at the scene of the crime, the empty patrol car, engine running, rolls slowly off the highway and into the field.

The dark figure watches only for a moment. He moves away while the car still travels pilotless deeper into the field.

Before it even settles, the familiar sound of a rumbling engine of that old truck can be heard.   
He leaves the patrol car for a glimpse at the highway when the dark truck rips past it down the moonlit highway.  
Trish and Darry continue driving when both see it at the same time. A farmhouse. Down a gravel drive off the road. Lights on in the windows. 

"Theres a phone!", Trish says. "You sure you wanna stop?", Darry asks. "I wanna get to anyone who can help us!", She hisses. 

"Whats the next town?", Darry asks. "I dont know and im not gonna wait to find out.", Trish says.

Trish drives down the gravel driveway. 

"Look, we just ask to use the phone, okay? We dont freak these people out.", Trish says. 

The house comes into more detail. Old and sagging, but its warmly lit windows like a beacon. A beacon of safety and sanity.

"We dont wanna scare 'em. We just wanna call for help.", Trish says. 

Headlights etched the overgrown garden that is the front yard. An Ancient pick-up to one side.   
In the center of the overgrowth, a sagging thing scarcely presuming to be a scarecrow.

"Too spooky...", Darry says. Trish looks at, thinking he was goofing off but his face shows a more serious look.

"Too spooky. Lets just get the hell outta here.", Darry says. 

At the outskirts of the yard, a plastic sunflower ticks away in a breeze as the car comes to a halt.

"Its pretty run down. Hope they have a phone.", Trish says. 

"I hope they have a gun.", Darry says. "I hope they dont.", Trish says. She opens the door.  
Their first look is to the highway. Empty for as far as the eye can see.   
A distant sound of a rifle being cocked turns the kids quickly towards the house.

"Who are you?", the lady asks. "Patricia Jenner. This is my brother Darry.", Trish responds.

"What'cha want?", The lady asks. "A telephone.", Trish says. "Aint got one.", The lady says.   
The kids look at one another. "You know its not too late to keep driving and not stop 'till we see people", Darry whispers.

"What do you think she is?", Trish asks. "Crazy?", Darry says. "Whatcha need it for?", The lady asks. 

"Someone's been killed. A police officer. Down the road.", Trish says, not wanting to spill any more than that and scare her.

The screen door opens now and the lady steps out. A strange looking woman of about 50 or so. Very intense around the eyes.

"We just came from there-", Trish says but it interrupted by the meowing of cats.   
The sounds of cats at her feet. She pushes a couple back inside the screen with a foot.  
A foot wearing a fuzzy pink slippers. Darry staring down at the felines. He remembers instantly the strange phone call at the diner.

The words play in his head. 'Did you see the cats yet?'.

"Its a way back. You cant see it from here.", Trish says. The Lady levels her eyes at the two. Silently judging him. Her shot gun still clenching tightly.

"Alright. One call, but be quick. My babies they dont like strangers.", The lady says. 

Trish stares at the old woman. She climbs the porch steps. She sees Darry still staring at the cats inside the door.

Trish doesn't understand. She makes a face that tells him to hurry up. He starts walking forwards.   
The Lady opens the screen for them, again holding one feline inside a fuzzy slippers.  
"Careful, i dont let 'em out after dark.", She says. "How many cats do you have?", Darry asks. 

"More than a couple, im afraid.", She says. 

Trish and Darry stop immediately as they step inside. The living room is covered with cats.

All kinds, shapes, and sizes. There must be forty of them in the living room alone.

"Phones there by the love seat.", the lady says. The lady shuts the front door and steps past them.   
She stores the rifle in a closet. Trish covers her nose with a hand. She makes a face to Darry. 

"Policemen killed, you say?", the Lady asks. Darry is still caught in an uneasy trance. 

His mind obsesses over the phone call from the diner. The mentioning of cats and hes now surrounded by them.

"Lets get out of here.", Darry says. Trish looks at Darry like hes gone crazy. The lady turns to them now.

Trish lowers her hand from her nose. "People think they can drive like maniacs 'round here. Cops too. Damn fools.", She says.

"Just a bunch of punks kids with badges and guns if you ask me.", The Lady says.

Trish moves to the phone. It too surrounded by cats. They all scatter as she reaches down and lifts the reciever.

"Who is that making a call on your telephone, hmm? Who is that?", The Lady asks.   
She is asking the one cat that remains. It sniffs her as she dials.   
"Thats the thing about cats. They can whiff a bad egg a mile away. Cant you, Tomfoolery?", The Lady says. 

Darry realizes she is referring to the cat that now rubs itself against his leg. 

"Oh he likes you. Lookee that. He wants you to pick him up.", She says.   
Darry nods. He tries to press out a polite smile. 

"Dont be afraid.", She says. Darry bends down and pets the cat's head.

"There you go. Big thing like you cant go through his life being afraid of a sweet little kitty.", She says.

"Yes, Patricia Jenner. We just left Trentdale with a police escort.", Trish says.   
"Are you calling the Trentdale county sheriff's department?", the person on the phone asks Trish.  
"I thought i was.", Trish says. "Trentdale's the next county over. Youre in Poho county now. You crossed the county line.", the Lady says. 

"Look, i dont know exactly where the house is we calling from-", Trish starts. Trish looks over to the little old lady.

She waits for her to tell her the address, but she is shaking her head adamantly.

"Dont bring the cops here! They try and bust my ass every year with their zoning crap!", the lady says.   
She turns to Darry. "They try and tell people how many cats a person can have.", She says. 

"You said you needed to report an emergency?", the person on the phone asks but is suddenly swallowed by an angry static on the line. 

Trish holds the phone away from her ear. The Cat Lady and Darry watches her. 

She clicks the clicker. She puts the phone back to her ear. Nothing. "Your phone just went dead.", Trish says.

Trish looks at Darry and begins thinking the worst. 

The Cat Lady marches over to hear for herself. She puts the phone to her ear just as the lights go out all through the house.

All of them, including all the felines, suddenly pludges into darkness.  
Darry rushes to the window, the cat still in his arms. 

Out in the overgrown garden, the plastic sunflower again clicks to a stop in the silence. In the moonlit yard.

"Theres nobody out there.", Darry says. Then, every cat in the place lifts its head in unison.

40 pairs of cat's eyes staring towards the front windows. Trish and Darry watching this.   
From every corner of the room, the wicked hissing of frightened cats begin to grow everywhere.  
The cat in Darry's arms freak out, clawing and thrashing to free intself. 

"Ouch!", Darry hisses in pain. He winces in pain as the animal yowls and hits the floor running. 

Cat Lady rushes to the front window. Trish and Darry are with her. 

The overgrown yard is dark with inky shadows. Her distressed scarecrow standing in the middle of it.  
More cats start hissing. Fur standing on end. Fangs are bared. Whatever is out there, these animals do not like it.  
"Ill be goddamned!", The Lady yells. She storms back to the closet for her rifle. The kids looking after her.

"Thats not my scarecrow.", the Lady says. They all look towards the inky silhouette of the scarecrow.   
Its larger than they remember it to be and its better dressed... in a long black coat...


	13. -12-

The figure stands before the hay-stuffed thing, creating a single silhouette. 

Cutting a tall, dark shadow against the starry night sky. One with eyes can barely discern.

Eyes that might not belong to a human thing. The cats are going berserk. Two of them topple over the phone table.

Others run in confused circles around the couch. Several of the scramble over the base of the floor lamp.   
That sends it on its side with a loud crash while others are scaling the drapes, clawing their way towards the ceiling.   
The Cat Lady watches, puzzled by her felines. "Who the hell is that?", She asks, cocking her rifle loudly and throws open the front door.

She levels the rifle at the scarecrow.

"You gotta 'bout ten seconds to get your ass outta my yard.", The Lady says. 

The scarecrow/Figure stands. It continues to stare in at them. Silhouetted in the moonlight. 

"Dont think im gonna tell you twice.", she hisses. Its voice... Strange and Raspy whisper.   
"My children...", It says. Trish and Darry exchange glances at one another. "What?", the Lady says.  
"I have come for my children.", the creature whispers. Both Trish and Darry are frozen by its words.

The old woman turns to look at them. Then the figure bolts towards the house. The Lady whirls about and fires the rifle. 

A ear piercing screech is heard. The scarecrow disintegrates, ripping into shadowy bits that explodes in every direction.

Something larger rips skywards at the moment of impact.

The figure is gone. It vanishes into thin air. The 3 crowd the doorway, trying to see out. 

Darry's gaze is caught by something high.

He catches a terrifying glimpse of this thing scrambling up the front of the house. Its like some horrible caped insect. 

As if gravity simply didn't exist. 

"What in the holy-", Darry says but is cut off. The sudden cut makes the woman look at them in shock.

A window suddenly breaks somewhere upstairs. All 3 whirl around, staring up at the ceiling. 

Cats start dropping past the front window. Dropling down into the yard from the second story. They land on their feet and scurry off into the night.

Trish and Darry look at each other with mounting fear. The Cat Lady looks at both Trish and Darry.   
"What the hell did you bring to my house?", She hisses. A sudden frightened and vocal torrent of cats rush in great panic down the stairs.

With the sounds from above, a cat clearly attacking, the lady storms towards the stairs brandishing her rifle.

"Get away from my babies, you son-of- a- bitch!", She hollers. 

"Dont!", Darry says and grabs the old woman to keep her from going in. "Dont go in there.", Darry says. "Goddammit!", The lady yells.

"Leave now! With us!", Trish says. Both kids try to convince her to not go back. 

"Goddammit! Dont you hurt my babies-", the lady says. She kneels Darry in the groin.  
He yelps and folds over as the old woman charges up the stairs. "Darry!", Trish yells. 

She hurries to him and starts dragging him towards the front door. She just wants out. They want to go!

"Ill blow your goddamn head off-", The lady yells but at the top of the stairs, the lady is suddenly wrenched off her feet.

The kids watch as her fuzzy pink slippers disappear from view. Straight up.

They hear her gasp only once. Now a choke, gargling sound. The kids stare up at the top step where her feet vanished.   
The cats are in absolute frenzy. Some baring their fangs in the direction of the stairs.   
Others climb the old drapes of the place in a frantic panic to get out. To get away.

Trish dashing back towards the front door with an injured Darry. 

They are halted by the sight of those slippers, slipping now, slowly back into view on the top step. 

Something just out of sight at the top of the stairs is holding her there. Feet dangling. One slipper falls off. 

Darry approaches in horror. He wanted to see up those stairs.

He wanted to see just what the hell this thing is. At the foot of the stairs, he looks up. 

He can see her body hanging there, lifeless. Shes held in the iron grip of the long coated figure. 

It pulls the woman into him as if she were a doll. 

Sniffing. Its sniffing her. The same way he did the officer's decapitated head.

Darry throws a look to Trish. Shes at the door, hand on the knob, frozen by her brother's paling expression.  
Darry looks back. The figure takes another long inhale and then peers around the dangling old woman.  
Out of the shadows and down the stairs, directly at him. For the first time, Darry sees its face clearly. 

Though the features are human. The glaring blind whites of the eyes, where pupils should be, give a much more terrifying impression. 

Not of something human, but of something else.

Something dark and powerful that only wears the guise of human... something utterly horrible without conscience.

It stares at him a chilling moment longer. Again its raspy voice whispering from its lips.

"She doesnt smell too good, Darry, but you do.", it says. 

Darry bolts as he hears those words. He is to the door so fast he turns the knob before Trish could. 

Trish and Darry blast outside. A flurry of fleeing cats also pour down the porch steps with them, spilling into the front yard.  
The kids scramble to their car. Trish flies to get behind the wheel and turns the key. Engine not turning over.  
Darry's eyes scan the dark face of the farm house. More commotion inside. Cats screaming and scattering. 

Trish with the key, grinds the ignition. After a few attempts, it starts. A large window upstairs explodes in a powerful shower of glass and wood.

The creature leaps into the night. Trish and Darry watching it.   
Some kind of nightmare streaking across the white of the half moon and then dropping down into the yard.

Impossibly, it lands on its feet. Crouched low to the ground like some horrible beast ready to pounce. 

Putting its sight, those horrible blank eyes, on the kids. He begins marching thier way. 

That is until another figures comes from the darkness and tackles this creature. 

Trish and Darry look at one another and then back at the other 2. 

The 2nd ones comes and throws the other one into the house, leaving a hole in the first floor wall. 

The 2nd one looks over at Darry and Trish. Its eyes are differnt than the other one. It has one red eye and one blue eye. 

Its skin looks a few shades lighter than the other one. Other than that, looks exactly like the other.   
A chain wraps around his arm that has the tip of a Syphe. In his other hand, he has a throwing metal double blade.   
With the throwing blades, he throws it, hitting the other in the arm. He takes the syphe on the chain and begins swinging.

The other one crawls out of the wall and rips the throwing blaeds out of his arm. 

He charges at the one with the syphe on a chain. The other swings the syphe and cuts the other mid-charge. His face begins to bleed. 

His blood is black, looks like oil or very liquidy tar. He jumps on the other one. Both begin throwing and swinging at one another.  
"Go! Go! Go!", Darry yells. The car squeals out of the yard, down the gravel drive and back towards the highway. 

Darry watches as one of the creatures sprints across the yard, disappearing into the darkness as the farmhouse gets smaller and smaller. 

"You see his face?", Darry asks frantically. Trish grapples the wheel, taking the dark highway as fast as she is able. 

"Come on, Trish, you saw their face?", Darry says. 

A sign flashes: RAILROAD CROSSING 1/2 miles.

"I know you saw it, Goddammit-",

"One fucking thing at a time, Alright?", Trish yells, cutting Darry off. Silence. Both staring ahead.  
Darry whispers his new mantra. "They were wearing a mask. Trish? They were both wearing masks.", Darry says.  
"Right.", Trish says. "You have to say it, too.", Darry says. "They were wearing masks.", Trish says. 

WOOOONNNNKKKKKK! The horrible horn blares behind them once again.   
The truck is close. Its headlights blasting the interior of the car, startling them as much as the horn.  
"What is this guy trying to do!?", Darry yells. "Darry!", Trish yells. 

Trish has her own problem: up ahead, the Railroad crossing lights are flashing, automated arms are lowering and bells are ringing loudly. 

Darry out the back squinting into the blaring headlights. WOOOONNNNKKKKKK! The horn from the truck blares again and this time, the train whistle calls back to it. 

"Darry!", Trish says. "Gun it, you can make it!", Darry encourages. 

The truck is gaining. The train is nearing. Bells clanging their warning. 

"Maybe down the tracks!", Trish says. "He'll kill us!", Darry hisses back. "I can maybe get to the conductor!", she says.

"Are you crazy?", Darry says. WOOOONNNNKKKKKK! "You gotta do this, Trish!", Darry says. 

The truck is all over both lanes, weaving back and forth, blasting that hideous, taunting horn. 

"He wants us to!", Trish says. Darry stares at her. "Faster, Trish.", Darry says. "We are going to die!", Trish says. 

"Just do it!", Darry hisses. The train horn blares its final warning. 

Trish slams the pedal to the metal and takes her sedan blasting through the barrier arms.   
It lurches across the track as the train roars at them like an iron beast. They fly over the tracks.  
The train just nicking their rear bumper and sends them spinning. Both collectively trying to grab the wheel. 

Spinning out of control while the train cuts them off from the truck. 

The truck which slams on its brakes and swerves dangerously close to the tracks and the trains. 

On the other side, the sedan stops spinning. Trish tries to get her bearings. Darry still has his hands on the wheel with hers.

"Let go of the wheel!", Darry hisses. Darry looks behind him. Nothing but the train clanking noisily over the tracks.

"We gotta move.", Darry says. Trish grabs the gearshift but it wont budge. Darr can see it. 

"Something is wrong...", Trish says. "Dont say that.", Darry says. The train's cars fly by.  
Their only barriers from the truck and their predator. "The gears are sticking-", Trish says.   
Darry's jaw tightens. "Unstick 'em, Trish.", Darry hisses. "What do you want me to do?", Trish hisses back.

Both kids grapple the stick shift. They cant wrestle the car into first gear.

"Goddammit!", Darry hisses. "You're gonna break it!", Trish says. Not seeing, something black shoots into the sky from the other side of the train...


	14. -13-

With a loud bang, something hits the back of the car and it hits hard, rocking it violently.  
Both kids stare out the back. The creature is crouched there, staring in at them with those horrible eyes.   
"He jumped over the train, Trish...", Darry says. Trish grinds the stickshift, trying with all her might. 

"He fucking jumped over the train, Trish!", Darry says. With a loud clunking noise, the car's transmission falls into gear and Trish guns the engine. 

The car lurches ahead, jolting the creature. It clutches the sides of the car as she speeds forward.

Darry is in a stun, numbed kind of shock. 

Trish dips onto the shoulder of the road, trying to make the ride rough. She swings across the lanes, weaving erratically.

She tries desperately to lose the thing on the trunk. Trish slams on her brakes. The car swings sideways violently.   
Finally flinging the creature into the air. The kids watch as he flails into space.   
Coat flaps around him, like a giant bat who has suddenly lost its equilibrium.

It hits the asphalt hard, rolling and skidding. Things fall out of his coat as he does.

The battle axe clanging noisily on the ground and another insidious looking knive, bounces on the asphalt with a couple of others, like the creatures, coming to an abrupt and violent halt. 

"What the hell are those?", Darry asks. Trish just staring at the motionless heap of black under the moonlight. 

The train's final car moves down the tracks behind them, revealing the dark truck just beyond the flashing railroad lights.

Both stare ahead at the lifeless heap. The sound of the train fades in the distance and the bells at the train crossing ceases.

Silence now. Only the sound of their breathing in the car. 

"Hit him.", Darry says, breaking the silence. Trish looks at Darry. "Hit him, Trish. Hard.", Darry says. 

She looks out the windshield. That lifeless mass sprawled on the highway.

"Do it!", Darry hisses. Trish opens her mouth to respond, then the creatures head begins to rise.

Its staring back at them. Those blind, ugly eyes burning out towards them. 

Trish slams on the pedal. 

She corrects the position of the car and rockets forward with as much speed as she can build.

The creature's face caught in the glare of the headlights as Trish slams into it hard.

The car's wheels pummel it savagely. 

Both kids gramacing with the terrible sounds of cracking and crunching beneath their tires. 

Trish stops now and looks back at her handiwork.

The cape has flipped over the creature's head and its lifeless figure, complete with tire tracks, lays a little flatter on the road.

Darry and Trish exchange glances. "You think its dead?", Trish asks. 

"They never are.", Darry says. "Right.", Trish says. 

Trish throws the car in reverse and speeds back at the lifeless shape.   
A sickening distinct sound as the tires roll over its legs this time.   
Trish comes to a halt behind it. Both stare ahead into its high beams, there can be no mistake this thing is flattened.

On the asphalt, at the end of one coat sleeve, a hand lays crushed. 

Tire tread marks all over it. Even bones crushed and flaking like greek pastry.

Blowing away now. The whole hand blowing away. Dust in the wind. 

In fact, lots of powder is blowing out from under that black coat. The kids watch in shock.

Have they crushed it into dust? "Lets get out of here.", Darry says.   
"I dont know how much further this car is gonna go.", Trish says.  
"Far enough.", Darry responds. Trish switches the car into drive.

Thats when they see the thing move. It begins to shake violently, like its having a seizure.

Something moves around. The coat is ripped and a large bat like wing streads out.   
It starts to flap as if its trying to fly away. It flaps a few times and then drops beside this thing.

The headlights reveal the realness of it as it shows the veins inside the wing.

Just as they are about to take off, the 2nd figure appears. "Thats the other one...", Darry says.

The 2nd creature walks up to the other one. He plants his foot right onto the other one's head.  
He begins stomping in the creature's head until it too was flattened. He goes to the back of the creature.  
He tears the back of the coat. He grabs ahold of this thing's wing and rips it off.

This other creature looks at Trish and Darry. He bends down, like hes bowing to them.   
He looks up to the sky and darts up into the darkness. Trish and Darry try to process what they just saw.

Trish guns the engine. A final trouncing for the Thing in the road as they roar over it and speed into the distance.

They drive for what seems to be forever but only really an hour or so.   
Both Trish and Darry pull up to the Poho county sheriff's department.  
As they head to the building, Alex appears and grabs both of them. Both are suprised and relieved to see him.

Both hug him tightly. "What the fuck happened to you? Are you okay?", Trish asks. Alex nods.   
"What happened to you?", Darry asks. They see Alex's cloths are torn and dirty. Alex sighs.   
"Theres something i need to tell you guys.", Alex says. "What is it?", Trish asks. "When i told you guys to run, i came face to face with it.

I knew what it is and ive been following it for as long as ive been alive.", Alex says. "For 20 years?", Darry asks. 

Alex shakes his head. "I didnt know how else to tell you guys this. The cat lady... that farm house...", Alex says.

"What about it?", Trish says. "I was there.", Alex says. Both kids give each other a look.   
"What do you mean you were there?", Darry asks. "Look at my eyes.", Alex says. Both look at his eyes. His two different eye colors. 

"That other creature had 2 different eye colors too. One red and one blue.", Trish says. 

Alex closes his eyes. "Dont freak out, okay?", Alex says. "Why would we?", Darry asks. 

Alex opens his eyes. One blue and one red. His face changes. He shows them his transformation.  
It was him. "You were the other one...", Darry says. Alex shifts back into his human form.

"I have been around since the vikings came to this country. I was one of the many Spellcasters who made this creature.  
I too, was punished and was bound to be this thing for the rest of my life. I am his counterpart.   
In many ways we are the same, however, i choose to eat those who are true monsters. Child predators, rapists, and many others.

I had followed his scent here. The only difference is that he has a time limit. I dont.", Alex says. 

They both try and take in all the information being given to them. 

"You were the one fighting him?", Trish asks. Alex nods. "I try to protect those its after, if they are innocent.   
Darry and you being innocent of any crimes, its my duty to protect.   
Once i sensed what he was after, i have to do what i must to protect. Im not sure which one hes after but its one of you. 

He knows im here and why im here. He wants revenge and will stop at nothing to get it.", Alex says. 

"For now, we will stay here. Just so we can have some kind of other protection besides me.", Alex says.   
"I need to call my parents. Have them meet us here.", Trish says. "Okay. Lets get inside. I need cloths to change into.", Alex says. 

Trish and Darry go into the police station. Alex goes back to Trish's car and changes. 

He gets a new shirt on. His pants are a bit dirty from fighting the other creature. 

He gets changed and heads back inside with Trish and Darry.trish is on the payphone in an empty lobby.

Darry next to Trish listening in. These kids have been through hell and they look it.  
"Its the Poho County Sheriff's Department. Its right off the main highway about 20 miles before Trentdale.   
I am serious mom, we are okay. The car, i dont know. Tell dad we may have to have it towed someplace.", Trish says. 

Darry turns away for a moment. His eyes are caught by something on an opposite wall.

A long bulletin board of missing persons. An ocean of faces. Men, woman, and children. Some of the headings read: Have you seen me?

"I love you. See you when you get here.", Trish says. 

Darry stares ahead numbly. All the faces staring back at him...


	15. -14-

"Hey...", Trish says. Darry staring att he wall. Alex sitting on a bench nearby. "They are on their way. Be here in about an hour.", Trish says.

"An hour and a half if mom drives.", Darry says. "Right.", Trish says. 

"Never thought id be so glad to see mom and dad.", Darry says. Alex looks up at Darry.  
"Actually looking forward to one of Dad's 'what in the name of god did you do now?'.", Darry says.  
Both Trish and Alex smile. In this look between siblings is a rare glimpse of their true love for each other.

"We will do it, you know? We will all get home.", Alex says. 

Both Trish and Darry hear Alex mocking Trish in his voice and both tell him to shut up. 

In from the night steps a woman. Heavy set, late fourties, sweet, plump face. In capri pants, sneakers, and a sweatshirt. 

"Jezelle.", the Desk Sargent calls for the woman. The Desk Sargent is clearly not happy to see her.

She walks right past him. 

"What can we do for you tonight?", The Sargent asks. He stands from his desk chair.   
He moves after her. "Jezelle!", The Sargent calls after her.   
She steps up to all the 3 kids. She studies each one of them. 

"Come on, Jezz, they've been through alot, okay?", the Sargent says. 

She extends a plump hand. A tiny hint of a drawl in her voice. "You the kids, then? Trish, Darry...", She says.

She looks at Alex. She notices his 2 different eye colors. "And the other one of its kind.", Jezelle says. 

"Jez' Goddammit!", The Sargent hisses. Jezelle holds her hand out for Trish. 

"Jezelle Gay Hartman, how do you do?", Jezelle says.   
"Jezelle's maybe a little confused about whats going on down here tonight-"  
"Less confused than Jerry here would like to think.", Jezelle says, cutting the Sargent off. 

She shakes all their hands but is hesitant shaking Alex's hand. "If you were talking to his captain? 

Captain John Develle who is off duty tonight? He'd tell you differently.", Jezelle says.

"Jezelle likes to think she's the resident psychic around here.", The Sargent says. 

Behind her, the Sargent signals to the kids that she is not to be taken seriously.   
"She helped us on a missing persons a few years ago-"  
"You think you could just let me talk to these kids for five minutes by myself?" Jezelle asks, cutting the Sargent off again.

The phone at the desk starts ringing incessantly. The Sargent moves to answer it.

"Go home, turn that goddamn police scanner off and go to bed.", The Sargent says.

"And you go do something useful, you got officers missing!", Jezelle hisses. "I mean it, Jezelle. Leave 'em alone.", The Sargent hisses back.

The 3 kids left staring at this woman. Jezelle turns back to the kids. 

"You dont have to believe im psychic, but i can tell you something these cops havent.", Jezelle say.   
They continue to listen to her. "That dust they got off your car back at Delroy's?   
It tested as human skin of 150 years old", Jezelle says. "Hes much older than 150.", Alex says. 

Hes still sitting on the bench. His arms are crossed and staring at the floor. "You would know, wouldnt you?", Jezelle asks. 

Alex looks up at her. "Me and him both are nearly a thousand years old.", Alex says.   
"That didn't come in my dream. I heard that on the police scanner.   
I got more to tell you and i came a long way to do it.", Jezelle says.

"You know, im really not sure we should be talking to anyone right now-"

"I know what you and that other thing are.", Jezelle says, cutting Alex off. 

Her voice suddenly sounding urgent and in a whisper.

"I know whats chasing yall and i know what you are.", Jezelle adds. She has all 3 of their attention. 

"You found a lot of bodies. Down in that cellar. I saw 'em too", Jezelle says. She swallows harshly.

"You see the cats yet? I saw you with cats too. Lots of cats-"

"You called. At the diner, that was you.", Darry says. "I saw those bodies just like you 2 did.   
That poor boy with the stitches all down him. I saw you 2 there with him.", She says.

"How?", Darry asks. "Dreamed it. I dream a lot of things.", Jezelle says. 

The woman's self-assuredness is dissolving. She stares at them with eyes flickering with fear and sadness.

"Those bodies down there. You found its House Of Pain.", Jezelle says.   
Darry doesnt know why, but his blood runs cold. 

"I dont know how i know that, i just... know that's what it likes to call it.", Jezelle says. 

"Shes right.", Alex says. They all turn to Alex. "He calls it his House Of Pain. 

As odd as it may seem, ive been blessed with the ability to read his mind. To make it easier to find him.   
Plan his next movement and already be ahead of him.", Alex says. "Really wish you told us this shit before hand.", Trish says.

"Im sorry i didnt want to freak yall out and be like 'hey, just so yall know, im a bat from hell sent here to protect'.   
Just didnt think id have to but i didnt wanna scare you guys.", Alex says. "What... likes to call it?", Darry asks. 

"Its got a whole lotta names from a whole lotta different times and places.", Jezelle says. 

"Eater of the dead. Thats the one that keeps coming to me.", Jezelle adds. 

"Eater of the... what does that mean? It eats people?", Darry asks. Alex sits back. He listens for what Jezelle says next. 

"They have to. They have incredible powers. Thats how they stay that way. How they lived so long.", Jezelle says. 

Trish and Darry look at Alex. "Shes right. We have to eat humans to live as long as we have.", Alex says.  
Trish tries to leave, but Darry grabs ahold of her arm. He wont let her leave.   
"I dont like having this in my head. I dont like knowing why i do.", Jezelle says. 

"Every 23rd spring, for 23 days, it gets to eat. Whatever it needs. It eats eyes so it can see. It eats lungs so it can breath.", Jezelle says. 

Trish has a disgusted look on her face. "Im gonna be sick. Darry, would you come and help me throw up, please?", Trish asks.

"Look, this thing has had chances to kill us, but it hasnt.", Darry says.

This alone makes Jezelle even more uncomfortable. 

"Its very particular. Only wants, certain parts from certain bodies. One of you has something it might like.  
It wont stop following until it knows for sure.", Jezelle says. "By trying to run us off the road?!", Darry hisses.   
Jezelle shakes her head yes. Her voice cuts down to a whisper. "It needs to scare you. There's something in fear.

Something it can smell.", Jezelle says. Darry and Trish stare at her.

"Makes it easier for it to know if there's anything in a person it might... like.", Jezelle says. 

"Like?", Trish says. 

"Wants.", Jezelle says. 

"Wants?", Darry asks.

"To eat.", Alex says from behind everyone. "Oh, fuck both of you!", Trish yells at both Jezelle and Alex.

While they are inside, someone decides to pull up into the back of the police station, looking for them...


	16. -15-

Many off duty patrol cars are packed. 2 officers just sitting down in their car.   
Coffee cups in their hands, engine turns over and they roll out of the lot.   
While behind the police station, an old dark truck rolls up. 

Its familiar license plate vibrating slightly with the rough idle of the engine: BEATNGU. 

Originally thought to say Beating You but learning what it does, it makes more sense as Be Eating You. 

Inside, they continue to talk. 

"I dont know what it is, exactly. If its a demon or just some hungry thing from a wicked place somewhere in time.", Jezelle says.

The truck door swings open. Engine still running as one of the creature's feet sets down on the asphalt. 

Its black shoe marred with a tire track.  
"I just know its been doing this for a lot longer than a 150 years. Its not gonna stop.   
Its coming after you or anyone else it wants to.", Jezelle says. 

The other leg swings out awkwardly. Out of a tattered pant leg, the foot hangs, barely attached only by a length of dead flesh and torn sock. 

"Once it has the scent of something it likes..."

With this horrid disfigurement, the creature starts a grizzly, almost comical limp across the shadowy parking lot. 

"It cant and it wont stop.", Jezelle adds.   
Jezelle pleads with Darry and Trish. Her voice still in an urgant whisper.   
"And you dont know how you know that. You just do, right?!", Trish hisses. 

Jezelle stares at her. Her eyes welling up, looking so sad like her heart is breaking. 

Like there is something else she knows. Something too terrible for her to say. Alex can hear it all. 

Alex heard everything she said on the phone. Alex saw him in the night sky.   
Alex knew all of this and never said anything. He knew it was after them but decided to keep it hidden.   
He knew Jezelle knew about him. Many people did along with the other creature. He confirmed Jezelle is telling the truth. 

"What?", Darry asks. Jezelle shakes her head no. She couldnt speak. "What else?", Darry asks. 

Darry takes her by her arm, forcing her to look at him. 

"Goddammit! You told us this much, now what else?", Darry hisses. "I told you. Jeepers Creepers.", She says.  
"I heard it. At the diner. Nothing happened.", Darry says. "No. Its playing on an old phonograph.", Jezelle says.  
Jezelle tries to sing in her frightened whispers. "Jeepers, Creepers, where'd you get those peepers?", She sings.

Trish and Darry look at each other. "I hear it playing while one of you is screaming.   
Screaming down in the dark somewhere. Screaming the last scream you'll ever-"

The light suddenly goes out, cutting her off. The halls plunge into darkness. The Desk Sargent lifts the phone. 

"We got lights out up here!", The Sargent says. The facility has come to an abrupt standstill.  
They all look towards the ceiling. Alex shifts into his demonic form. They look at Alex and immediately panic.  
"Whoa. Its just me. Hes here. He cut the power. I have to get myself locked up. Hes in where the cells are.", Alex says. 

"How are you gonna do that?", Trish asks. Alex shifts back to his human form. "You guys have to say its me.", Alex says.

"Are you sure?", Darry says. Alex nods. Alex goes to Darry. He unwraps Darry's hand. 

He takes his hand and smears the blood on his face, neck, and chest. "Doing this will have him come after me. I have your scent. Now go!", Alex says.

"That's impossible. We ran it over until there was nothing left. We killed it.", Darry says.   
"Its eaten too many hearts for its own to to ever stop. You need to move it!", Alex says.   
They head to the Sargent in a frantic. They tell him one of the creatures is there. They take the Sargent to Alex.

Blood all over him and ripped clothing. "Thats it? Thats one of them?", The Sargent says. 

They confirm. The Sargent handcuffs Alex. "Ill take him into the cells.", The Sargent says. 

He takes and passes Alex to another Officer. 

On another level of the building, a flashlight blares out the dark as Officer McCurry starts the long walk down a shadowy row of cells. 

He has Alex by his arm, guiding him to his cell. 

"Heads up, Gentlemen.", The Officer says, flashing the light into the first cell. Two bodies sleeping in bunks.  
"I said heads up, gentlemen. Show me some skin.", The Officer says. Alex takes a big wiff of the air.   
He smells him. Hes close by. Very close by. The inmates stare groggily into the glare of the flashlight.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Man?", An inmate says. 

"We have a black out, gentlemen. That means emergency head count.", The Officer says. 

"Lower bunk, show me some skin.", The Officer says. An angry hand juts out from under the blanket, middle finger extended.

The Officer moves onto the next cell. "Head count, gentlemen.", He says.   
Upper and lower bunks peer into the beam. He moves to the next cell. He stops when he hears a sound.

A wet sound. 

The Officer follows it with Alex in front of him. They move quickly past several more cells.

The sound has gone from slurping to crunching. They get to the end of the hall. 

He put Alex by the cell next to where the sound is coming from. He approaches the last and darkest cell.

The flashlight falling over something McCurry cant believe.

The bars of the cell have been bent outward and apart. McCurry fumbles with his free hand to get his gun.   
He tries to get his gun out of his holster. He takes another step. The man in the cell freezes when the beam of light hits him.

Dressed in a long black coat, squatting over something on the floor.

McCurry looks down. 

The body of an inmate lies in a pool of dark blood. At the end of his right leg, the foot has been chewed completely off.

McCurry is in shock. 

Behind him, Alex had already taken off the handcuffs and has already shifted into his demonic form. 

The figure, ignoring the Officer's presence now, returns to his work. It bows its head.   
Suddenly, thrashing it back and forth. The lifeless inmate rocking with the same violent motion.  
McCurry moving fast now. He leaps before the cell. He levels his pistol. The figure's head drops back. 

McCurry halted by that horrible wet, crunching sound as the inmate's arm falls into view. 

His hand is gone. A bloody stump adding more crimson to the floor.

McCurry cocks his pistol. The sound is loud and causes the figure to turn slowly until he is staring up at McCurry past the gun barrel.   
McCurry paralyzed. The creature's white eyes glaring up at him. Its mouth and chin a bloody mess.  
McCurry should have fired by now. Too perplexed and horrorified at what he is staring at.

Before he knew what was happening, it moves so fast, McCurry only feels the bars of the cell slamming into his face.

His sevice pistol flies out of his hand with the impact. 

Meanwhile, Alex has backed up into the darkness. An evil grin across his face. His handcuffs already off.

He shifts into his other form. He waits for the right time to attack. 

McCurry has been grappled, in a blurring moment of speed, through the bars of the cell by the creature's one good hand.

The other hand, non existent. Just an empty sleeve as he holds Officer McCurry against those bars.

Nose to nose, surveying the officier. Those malevolent white eyes staring into him. 

The sound of trickling. Something is trickling on to the ground. 

Both cop and creature look down at the creature's empty sleeve. A greyish powder trickles out of it. 

And with it, a new hand drops down from inside the sleeve and splays its fingers.

Replacing the ones pummelled into dust by the tires of Trish's car.

The creature takes McCurry's head in both hands now. It leans in close. Then closer...  
And sniffs. It sniffs him. Leans in now. Inhaling him. Savoring his scent. The the officer's horror and suprise. 

It levels those malevolent eyes at him now and roars. The creature's mouth gaping open and collides with his head...


	17. -16-

The light drops. McCurry's arms and legs flailing madly as he screams. 

Its at the time that Alex charges and tackles the 2. Alex throws the officer away from the creeper.

Alex takes his syphe tip chain. He begins slicing his body. The creeper manages to throw Alex off of it. 

They get back up on their feet. "This is what you wanted? I know you have been waiting.", Alex says. 

The creeper growls. Alex swings his chains. Alex paces slowly back and forth. He scoffs. 

"I remember that day.", Alex says. "The day were came together and made you what you are.", Alex says.  
It growls at him. "Not too long after we made you, they made me. You were a disgusting being as a human and even more disgusting creature.   
They made me to keep you in line. To make sure you werent killing conspicuously. 

You slipped from our view for a couple of centuries. Just to find you in this dump. A church? Really? I would have done something a little more... scarier. 

Now that ive found you, its time to finally end you.", Alex says. It growls loudly. Both charge at one another.

Emergency lights flicker on. Tiny pools of lights from the corners of the ceiling. 

"About god damn time.", Sargent at the Desk says. 

Trish, Darry, and Jezelle stare up at them. Lots of activity suddently, officers everywhere moving around in the semi-dark. 

"Alright. We are going to a lock down situation, people.   
That means everybody sit tight and dont move unless somebody wearing a badge tells you to.", The Sargent says. 

"Hes here...", Jezelle says. Both Trish and Darry look almost angry at her for having said anything. 

She regards them with a nod in a chilling affirmation.

"You kids wanna come with me?", The Sargent asks. All 3 whirl around, startled by the Sargent, standing suddenly behind them in the dark.

"We are gonna put you in a room down the hall here.", The Sargent says. Jezelle in tow, down the hall.  
"Uh uh. Not you, Lady Sherlock.", The Sargent says. He gets on his walkie. "Someone please escort Jezelle here back to the big and blue winnebago.  
The one shes no doubt blocking the driveway with.", The Sargent says into his walkie.

Two officers step up to escort her away. Jezelle begins to become irate. 

"These kids are still in trouble! I might still be able to help 'em-"

"I told you: outta here!", the Sargent says, cutting Jezelle off. "You dont see whats about to happen-"  
"Lets get Ms. Hartman out of here, please.", the Sargent says, cutting Jezelle off again. 

The officers start to back her up. She looks to Trish and Darry with the most frightened eyes.

"Hes gonna find you in here. Hes gonna find you 'less you get out-"

"Alright now, Godammit! Knock it off!", The Sargent yells. The officers take her by the arms.  
"Get away from me!", Jezelle hisses. "I swear i will lock you up, Jezz'!", The Sargent says.  
Jezelle looks at Darry. "You believe me?", Jezelle asks. Her frightened eyes burning out in him.

"You believe what i said?", Jezelle asks. Darry panicking, doesnt want to believe. 

He moves towards her as she is ushered toward the exit. 

"I dont know if it would help but i had to tell you what i knew.", Jezelle says. "Are your dreams ever wrong?", Darry asks.   
Jezelle just stares at him. "Your dreams, are they ever wrong?!", Darry asks again.   
Darry unnerved by the horrible sadness on her face. "You know, dont you?", Darry asks.

"You have to get out of here!", Jezelle says. "You know who dies! You know which one of us dies!", Darry hisses. 

"Dont let them lock you anywhere in this building-"

"You know but dont have the guts to tell us!", Darry hisses, cutting Jezelle off. Jezelle looking helpless.   
Her eyes frozen on Darry. Thats when they all hear gunshots. Its from the floors below. A frantic voice comes on the wakie.  
"Up top. This is the basement. We have a 10-34. I repeat, 10-34!", a officer says over the walkie.

The officers thakes his walkie off his belt. The Desk Sargent hurries to listen in. Lots of commotion on the other end.

"Anybody on ground level?", an officer says. The Sargent grabs the walkie. "Kribbs, go ahead.", He says.   
"We got a situation down here, Sarge'!", The officer says. For gunshots are heard. Both from the radio and and faintly from the lower levels.  
"They are heading towards you! Up the rear stairs! You copy?!", the officer says. Trish and Darry exchange looks. 

Impossible. It cant be them. "Coming up the rear stairwell!", The officer says. 

Pandemonium in the dark. Officers racing towards the end of the lobby. The Sargent turns to Trish and Darry. "Stay here!", He says.

He runs back down the hall, passing Jezelle. She stares at them as they tun past her.

"We gotta get you outta here.", Jezelle says. She moves fast for a big woman. They head down the dark corridor, away from the lobby.

"Come on, i said!", Jezelle hisses. 

They move with her. Darry taking a final look back at the lobby where the Officers now hug the walls.  
They stare down a corridor that ends in the rear stairwell. The Sargent stares with the others at the dark stairwell.  
Illuminating by a single dollop of light from one of the emergency overhead. Four cops flank the walls before it.

Weapons are drawn. The Sargent hisses an urgent whisper into his walkie. 

"Somebody talk to me down there!", The Sargent says. "We have one inmate and an officer down!", an Officer says.

More officers begin to respond. Running out of the dark, the Sargent waves them back. 

"Ramirez too. Hes hurt pretty bad. Son-of-a-bitch tried to take a bite out of him.", the Officer says.   
"What?!", the Sargent says. A shawdow falling over the stairwell. Someone heading up the stairs.

All this time, The creature and Alex are fighting through the building. 

More gunshots are heard. Flashes from below etching the shadow which suddenly flicker up the wall and out of view.

Officers stare puzzled. Where did this guy go?

"These guys are wearing something 'cause we cannot take him down. Copy? We cannot take them down!", the officer says.

"They?", the Sargent asks. "Theres two. Fighting one another.", The officer says.   
They hear something moving. Getting closer guns aimed down those dark stairs.  
One of the officers, Dane, looks to the Sargent. They get a nod and Dane moves forward. 

Hugging the wall, very close to the stairwell now. They jump aside the doorway. 

They brave a look down. Nothing on the stairs. They hear something in the stillness...


	18. -17-

A sniffing sound. Somewhere in the dark. They can all hear it, puzzled by it. 

Down the stairs? Officer Dane looks back at the Sargent, not seeing what everyone else does behind him.   
One of the creature's head drops into view from above. Hanging upside down just inside the stairwell doorway.

The officers swing their guns to this horrible visage when - plosshh!

Officer Dane's face erupts in shock. Sprayed suddenly with crimson. His chest has the creature's hand sticking out of it.

He was punching right through it. In the creature's horrible hand, the officer's still-beating heart.

The creature swing back up out of view. As it does so, he takes his bloody parcel with it. The men staring ahead in shock.

Dane just stares wide-eyed with the hole in his chest.

Slurping and gargling sounds are made as the unseen creature ingests what onlookers dont want to believe it could be.   
The heartless officer tries to say something now but can't manage it. He falls back and tumbles down the stairs.   
The Sargent and his men are the color of chalk as they regard each other in the terrible, silent shadows of the dark hall.

The ceiling over the doorway erupts. Plaster and dust flying everywhere as both creatures blast theough the walls and onto the their sides. 

All before the startled onlookers. Both are instantly moving. Alex lunges forward in long powerful strides. 

Strides through the dust and the confusion, directly at the creature in the direction of officers and their guns.

Everyone opens fire, bullets ripping through both creatures. 

One officer screams behind them. Their bodies riddled with the same bullets, flying right through them and into the officer.   
The men watch in horror as the officer flails back and crashes to the floor.   
The creature reaches out and yanks another officer off their feet. They twitch and convulse as the creature cuts off their air.

The creature does this as a way to distract Alex from his target. He tries to avoid colliding with the bodies.

Both creatures still moving. With its other hand, grips the officer by the groin. It picks the officer and holds him out.

A human shield as he strides down the dark corridor watching the other officers retreat in shock and confusion.

Two officers behind them, running at them. One has his pistol leveled. The other screaming at him not to shoot. 

"No!!!", The officer yells, charging ahead himself.   
A flying tackle at the creature's back, but its like hitting a mountain.   
Alex hits hard and holds on, grappling the creature around the neck. 

The creature still moving. Not even slowed down. Alex on his neck and an officer on his back. 

Others retreating. Scared. What the hell is this thing? "God dammit!", The Sargent says. 

The Sargent remains in the middle of the hall, his revolver aimed at the approaching nightmares.  
The officer on the creature's back starts to pistol whip the creature. 

Both desperately trying to stop it, but in a swift and vicious move, it swings around, slamming its back into the nearest wall. 

It slams it hard. The officer with it. The plaster on the wall cracks with the impact.

The officer's eyes go wide as he spits blood. He collapsed on the floor in a heap as the creature continues on. 

His human shield staring at him, eyes buldging, air still cut off.  
"Goddammit stop! You stop right fucking there!", The Sargent says.  
"This isnt your fight, human!", Alex hisses, still keeping his hands on the creature's neck. 

Before anyone could react, it raises his human shield over his head. 

Beofre the men can fire at his exposed chest, it hurls the officer at them. 

But this is no ordinary throw. The man is rocketing down the corridor as if propelled out of a catapult.

Officers are diving out of his way. One taken out completely, tumbling down the corridor with him and smashing into a glass trophy case.  
It crashes noisily to the ground on top of them. Glass and trophies going everywhere.   
At the same time this commotion is going on, Trish, Darry, and Jezelle hurry through the darkness.

They can hear the chaos in the distance. They come upon a large rear door with a safety bar and an alarm.

Darry tries it. It wont open. He tries it viciously. He whirls to Jezelle.

"This is your way out?", Darry asks. "The doors must lock automatically in a power out.", Jezelle says.

"You didnt know that?!", Darry hisses. "Well, im sorry honey but i cant dream everything now can i?", Jezelle says. 

Eyes and ears on alert. The distant commotion is suddenly still. Deathly still.   
"We have to get upstairs!", Jezelle says. "We have to get out!", Trish hisses.   
"Theres no other way out down here except the front.", Jezelle says. "How are we gonna get out from upstairs?!", Trish hisses.

Darry sees it first... at the far end of the hall. A familiar silhouette. Still. Impassive.

"Upstairs.", Jezelle says. Trish and Darry dont need to be told twice. They both dash up the stairs.

The creature takes off towards them like a rocket. It sprits so fast, its coat billows in his wake, like dark wings. 

Jezelle just kneels. No chance she could make it up those stairs fast enough.   
Instead, she bows her head in prayer as the creature races towards her.   
"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name...", She says.

The creature is about to reach her when a sudden blast through the walls grabs her attention. 

Alex has the creature back on the ground. Alex turns to her. "Get upstairs. Keep Darry and Trish safe.", Alex says. 

Alex still fight with this creature. Both bloody and covered with blood, dust and plaster. 

The creature and Alex wrestle down the hall. It grabs Alex and throw him through the wall.   
Alex temporarily is unconscious. The creature begins running back to Jezelle.   
The creature is so close she can feel its wind. She can feel it blasting past her. 

Her moment of doom has passed quickly. She turns and sees the creature racing up the stairs at top speed.

Meanwhile, Trish and Darry run for their lives. Where to? they dont know. The corridors are dark and maze-like.

Stopping finally. Confused whether to keep moving or find a place and hide. 

They dont have to think long. The creature roars into view ahead of them and they start a nightmare flight back into the maze.   
The creature pursues with incredible speed. The kids practically falling around corners they are running so fast.  
Behind them like some dark avenger, the creature soars. Gaining. Always gaining.

It rounds another corner and halts. The kids are gone. Several doors they could have slipped into. He chooses one. 

The creature in the doorway. Its an interrogation room. Dark and empty. 

Its caught by its own reflection in the large mirror on the wall.   
A two-way mirror. On the other side, Trish and Darry watching breathlessly.  
Terrified as the creature surveys the mirror and steps towards it. The kids are silent. 

They hold one another. The terrible visage of the Thing pressed against the glass now. Does it sense something behind it?

Those white eyes staring in. As if they could see through it.

And then his tongue comes out. Long. Licking the glass from low to high in some horrible, pre-culinary gesture. 

Trish and Darry watch with repulsion. Then relief as they see Alex come through the door. They run up and hug Alex.   
"Where is it?", Darry asks, panicking. "Hes nearby. Im sorry you guys.   
I wish there was something better i could do but hes stronger. He ate and now hes replenish. 

Stronger humans make him stronger than normal. We need to get out.", Alex says. 

Having left a snail trail on the mirror, the creature is turning away. Turning away from the mirror and a crash is heard...


	19. -18-

The plexiglass window explodes as the creature crashes through it.  
Trish and Darry scramble back in a blind panic and a shower of glass.  
Alex gets them behind him. He stands in front of them, shielding them. 

The creature in the center of the room. Poised like an animal, ready to pounce.

Trish and Darry can barely move. Paralyzed with fear as the Thing steps closer. Alex still shielding. 

"They are mine! These are innocent people. We are the same thing and we both can smell what we want in people.  
We choose who we want and what we want. You chose anyone and everyone who crosses your path. Chose those who do evil.  
Dont go after innocent people. We are the exact same. We are equals.", Alex says, trying to convince this creature. 

The creature only found it entertaining. The creature comes face to face with Alex. 

Eye level with each other. The creature grabs Alex by the throat. 

He picks him up and throws him threw The window he had just crashed through. 

Glass shards gets embedded into his body. The creature turns back to the two kids. He backs them to the wall. Both kids, side by side.

Those hideous milky eyes glare at Trish. Burning into her. Watching as he inches closer.  
Darry starts to move, pinned against the wall Instantly by the creature's iron grip.  
Pinned there watching as the creature moves even closer to his sister. "Darry...", Trish says, barely a whisper.

Nose to nose now they are so close. She can feel the horrid stench of his cannible breath. 

"Sister, Sister...", its horrible, raspy voice whisper. She watches in horror as it gets so close, she thinks it might kiss her. 

But, it sniffers her instead. 

Short little sniffs at first. Darry and Trish watching this in horror. 

Then sniffs long and deep as Trish stares full of fear, into those horrible eyes.  
Eyes that close as another deep inhale commences. They open again, abruptly.  
It stares at her a moment longer and tosses her aside. 

Alex is slowly getting back up onto his feet. He sees Trish on the floor. 

The creature instantly sets his eyes on Darry. Nose to nose. A big deep inhale as little brother watches. 

He tries to find his sister, somewhere on the floor. His whispers like a child's.  
"Please let me smell bad, Please let me smell bad, Trish...", Darry says.  
It takes another long inhale. This time, the creature's head drops back. 

Darry can see the nostrils. Flaring. Fluttering. Nostrils dont flutter.

They do it again. As if the scent they were sampling, sent his nostrils into uncontrollable twitching.

There can be no doubt, as the creature levels those eyes at Darry, that it has found what it wants. 

Something about or inside him it finds irresistible. 

"Its gonna eat me, Trish. This motherfucker is gonna eat me.", Darry hisses. The sound of a rifle being cocked can be heard. Big ones.  
The creature halts but doesnt turn. Alex crawls threw the window quickly and quietly.  
The shattered window to the other room is filled with 4 officers in riot gear. The Sargent their leader.

"Step away from the kid!", The Sargent yells. The creature still doesnt move, staring at Darry.

"Darius? Just step this way with your sister.", The Sargent says. Darry stares at the creature for a long moment.

Then, slowly, Darry inches down the wall. The creature watching him.  
Once out from under it, Darry scrambles to Trish and they fly out the door into the hall.  
Alex close behind them. "Come on! We gotta go!", Alex hisses. The creature turns to Alex.

As it does so, all rifles raise up at it. The creature slowly raises his head.

Its eyes glaring at them from an angry furrowed brow that seems to say 'who in the fuck do you think you are?'. 

The creature roars towards them and the guns blaze. 

As the sound of a war rage overhead, The trio scramble down a stairwell that empties into the dark lobby.  
Halted by the bodies scattered everywhere. Like a massacre scene from a horror movie.  
One body sticking half out of a plexiglass window he was thrown through. 

A body at the corner of the Sargent's desk is just a torso. His bottom half no where to be seen.

The trio blast forward. Sprinting through the atrocities and towards the entrance.  
The glass door, also shattered by an officer's body hanging half in and out.  
They step over him and out to the parking lot. They search frantically for their car. 

They see Jezelle's winnebago, but not a sign of their own vehicle. No way to drive out of here.

Except for the creature's dark truck still idling in the back of the building. More gunshot blasts and flashes from the 2nd story. 

To Darry, the choice is simple. He is sprinting towards the truck. "No!", Trish yells.  
Little brother sprints to the driver door and throws it open. A stench so foul meets him that he has to grimace.  
Thinks twince about this now. "I am not doing this, Darry!", Darry tells himself. 

Suddenly, 2 officers come crashing out a 2nd story window. "Trisha!", Darry yells. 

Before their bodies can even hit the ground, Darry braves the strench. He leaps up into the driver's seat.

He reaches instinctively for the ignition. No key. The truck is running without keys in the ignition.

Clutching the gear shift. Sticky. He looks at his palms. Sticky, congealed, crimson goo.  
Its like a thin film over everything. The passenger door flies open. Trish reaches out for brother's hand.  
She halts with the stench, staring at him. He just gives her arm a good yank and she is up and flying into the seat.

Alex comes to Trish's door. "Ill be in top.", Alex says. He jumps on top of the truck. 

The truck rattles with her weight and sounding like a windchime.

They look behind them and see why: the truck walls are lined with an incredible and grizzly array of spears, axes, and knives...


	20. -19-

All hanging from mounted hooks, the weapons clanking and tinkling together with the movement of the truck.  
Blades all stained by an eternity of atrocities. The creature appears now. Its now on the roof of the building.   
Darry staring in horror at it from the truck window. Even at this distance, caught in his terrifying, demon-blind glare. 

"What the hell are you waiting for?", Trish asks. Darry grapples the sticky gear shift again, tries to get it in first. 

The gears grind, shrieking as if they were souls being tortured. 

The creature vaults forward. Leaping impossibly off the roof of the building and onto the roof of Jezelle's winnebago.

It lands on its feet. It glares at Darry, starting across the parking lot. 

Not on the ground, he has leapt into the air and is leaping from police car roof to police car roof with each stride.

"Hang on!", Darry says. 

Damned gears. They grind away. 

Trish staring back, the creature leaping from car to car like some nightmare gymnast.  
His tattered coat flapping like dark, distressed wings. Darry finally forces the gearshift forward.  
Hes not sure if hes in the first gear or not. He guns it. It lurches roughly and stops. It must be in second.

The creature hits one final car top and vaults into space, directly at them.

"Darry!", Trish says. The truck lurches forward again. Moving now but not fast. 

The creature then smacks into the side of the van. His face rearing up into Darry's window. 

He stares in. Darry terrified, still trying to get up speed. "Give me something!", Darry yells.  
Trish gets out of her seat. The truck lurching again. It throws her into the back. She tries to get her balance.   
Spears and battle axes clanging all around her. The creature rakes its claw-like fingers across the glass in a circular motion.

It slices into the window with a horrible shrieking sound. "Give me something!", Darry hisses. 

The creature rears his hand back, ready to strike the circle it has scored into the glass. "Trish...", Darry says. 

Right as it goes to strike, something pulls it up onto the roof. Its now Alex and this creature on the roof of the truck. 

"Its me youre after. Let them go and take me. I will go willingly. Leave them be.", Alex tries to convince him to leave Darry and Trish.

In the truck, something smacks into the palm of Darry's palm. He doesnt even take time to see what it is.   
He keeps it on his lap. Theres now a bunch of commotion up above. Banging all around up above.   
Darry and Trish look in all their mirrors. They see something in black being flung off the truck. 

"What the-", Darry says. "What?", Trish says. "I think Alex kicked it off the truck. I just saw it fly off the truck.", Darry says.

The back of the truck opens up. Trish immediately turns back and Darry looks in the rear view mirror. 

"He should be gone now.", Alex says, crawling in through the back. He closes the back. 

"We should be fine. If anything, we have all these weapons.", Alex says. They manage to catch their breath.  
They continue to drive this heavy truck. A fate bang is heard but its so soft. Only Alex heard it. Alex looks in the mirrors.   
Thats when he sees him. "Shit...", Alex says. "What?", Trish asks. "He caught up.", Alex says. Darry looks out his window. 

He comes eye to eye with the creature once again. Darry takes the object Trish handed him.

The creature strikes the window. Darry throws the item. 

It hits the creature directly in the face with a small combination hatchet/hammer.

Glass has flown everywhere as the creature drops off the truck once again. He crashes to the earth as Darry speeds away.

"Yes!", Darry says. Trish and Alex watches. They want to smile too. They want to shout with joy like Darry.

"Motherfucker!", Alex hisses. Alex looks out the back windows and Trish looks out her window.   
They see the dazed creature raising his head. It stares after them as they get further and further away.  
Sarry guns the engine. The truck is really moving now. Roaring away from the sheriff's building and down the empty two lanes. 

"Darry...", Trish says. A warning from sis. Darry looks out the rear view mirror. They all see the distant creature in on his feet now.

Hes running. Running right towards them. Darry has a more manic smile on his face. "Hes kidding right?", he asks. 

Alex watches him. Hes sprinting after them. Hes sprinting like hell.

"Hes not getting smaller!", Trish says. He is actually gaining on them. His legs a blur of darkness he is coming so fast.  
Darry checks the speedometer. The truck is doing 120 miles an hour. The creature is gaining on them.   
"You mother...", Darry says. Darry's foot flattening the gas pedal to the floor board. The old truck shakes and quakes at this velocity.

The spears and axes clanking noisily. Then another impossible nightmare.

The sprinting creature, without slowing down, throws himself forward like an acrobat doing a tumble. 

But when he completes his flip, he lands on his feet again. He uses the momentum to push off.

And in an affront to gravity everywhere, he rockets himself up into the night sky.

Up amd gone. Out of view. The trio sees it. They all look at one another.   
A loud bang comes from above. Something hits the room of the truck hard.   
It affects the truck's trajectory. It weaves across the road. Darry tries to win back control.

The next thing everyone knows, the the creature's battle axe punches a hole in the top of the truck, right in front of Darry's face. 

"Trish!", Darry says. Alex scrambles for one of the spears. He gets a short one. Alex thrusts it straight up.

He thrusts it above Darry's head. A loud shrieking of something being hit is heard.

He pierces the roof and punctures the creature's head. Directly above the eyes. 

The creature loses his grip on the truck. He slides back and off, falling onto the road again.   
Darry watches in the rear view mirror. The other 2 look straight out the back window.  
"Yes!", Darry says. It hits the asphalt hard. The spear dislodges as it rolls over and over down the 2 lanes.

"Yessssss", Darry says. It rolls and rolls and suddenly leaps up, landing on his feet and keeps on coming...


	21. -20-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like ive said before, the movie order is 1, 3, and 2. This story will not end until the movies do. Rumors are they are making a #4 so we will see.

Darry's enthusiasm is now gone again. He watches breathlessly as this inhuman thing comes at them again.  
The creature has never moved faster. So fast , powder is coming off his skin.   
A skin being eaten away by the actual wind shear at this velocity. "Yeah. Burn your ass up you son-of-a-bitch!", darry hisses.

He is like a comet now. A rocket of dust blasting down the highway towards the truck.

"Watch it...", Trish says. Alex scramble for another weapon. 

The creature's velocity is making its own hissing sound. All 3 listen to it grow louder and louder.

Alex tosses Trish a battle axe. Both standing side by sode now in the back of the truck.   
Both with an angry looking weapon at the ready. Both see the screaming dust storm is almost upon them.  
With a loud bang, the back doors blast inward as the creature explodes into the truck. 

Trish is thrown ahead against the dash. Darry losing control again. The truck hits the shoulder of the road hard.

Inside the creature advances. Alexs lurching forward with an axe at the ready for him. He swings it.

With a swing of the axe, his head is neatly sliced off. Leaving a small puff of dust at his neck as it rolls right out the back of the truck and down the highway. 

The creature's headless body staggering back. The trio staring at it. 

Trish charges ahead with the same weapon and hurls it. Direct hit! Knocks the torso out the doors.

It hits the asphalt hard and goes rolling and rolling in sporadic puffs of dust.

"Yes!", Darry says. The van roars ahead. In the distance, a train whistle. Darry listening to it. He looks at his sister.

"Where is he?", Darry asks. Alex and Trish waste no time to look out the back again.   
"Hes dead. He doesnt have a head.", Trish says. "Hes not.", Darry says. "Darry, he doesnt have a fucking head!", Trish hisses.  
"Hes not!", Darry hisses. "How is it supposed to eat anything without a head?", Trish says. 

All stare breathlessly at each other. Darry's words are calm now, almost a whisper.

"Hes not gonna stop. He is never gonna stop, Trish.", Darry says. 

The railway crossing ahead. The clanking sound of the warning bells and the automatic arms. 

"Get out.", Darry says. Trish can believe he had just said this.   
"I mean it. Get out.", Darry says. He motions over to the soft green grass on the side of the road.  
"Theres grass right over there.", Darry says. "Trish, get out. Remember what i told you back at the church?", Alex says. 

She looks in between both Darry and Alex. "Hes dead!", Trish hollers. 

"Hes not! We all know hes not!", Darry hisses. The train horns blaring now. 

A warning it is almost to the crossing. "Do it!", Darry hollers. 

Something again hits the roof hard. They all look at each other. "Trish!", Alex yells.   
"What the hell are you gonna do?!", she yells. In a sudden movement, down comes the creatures hand again.  
By it doing that, makes a larger hole in the roof of the truck. Grab ahold of Darry's head.

It finds him. Holds it tight. Darry screams trish races at him. 

"Look out!", she yells.

She swings another axe. The hand holding her brother is severed. 

It falls to the ground and she kicks it out the back of the truck.

It hits hard in a cloud of dust. 

Up top, an armless, headless creature reaches down again with his one remaining arm.  
"Goddammit, Trish! Im not doing this for nothing!", Darry begins. "Youre not doing anything without me!", Trish yells.

She takes another long sharp spear and thrusts it through the roof of the truck. 

Up top, the spear-head pierces the creature's headless torso, pinning it to the top of the truck.

This only angers him more. His remaining arm reaching down for Darry.   
He grapples with a new violence for his head. He finds it.  
Darry tries to wrench it off him. It starts to pull him upward. 

Trish runs forward with her axe but little brother surprises her. He grabs her arm and pulls her onto his lap. 

"Darry!", Trish yells. 

He forces the axe out of her hand. He kicks the door open. He looks terrified as he flashes a last look at her.

"By sis.", Darry says. He throws Trish out of the truck. She screams as she hits soft grass and rolls. 

Alex gets to Darry. He tries to free Darry from the creature's grasps. "Alex.", Darry says.   
Alex looks at Darry. "Take care of Trish.", Darry says. "No. I swore to save and protect you.   
Im not leaving without you still breathing in my arms.", Alex says. Darry shakes his head.

"He wanted me. Let me sacrifice myself for her. You tried your hardest. Go save her. Protect her.", Darry says. 

The train is upon them now. Warning bells deafening and lights flashing.

"Go. Now.", Darry says. "No.", Alex says. Darry clenches to the arm of the creature as tight as possible. 

The creature lifts him up, pulling him out of his seat. Darry fights it. He braces himself with with his hands against the roof of the truck.

"You got me? You got me you son-of-a-bitch? Huh?", Darry antagonize him.   
Alex tries his best with the remaining spears to penetrate through the roof and strike the creature. 

The truck roars through the railway crossing, breaking through the automatic arms.

Trish in the grass, stunned and in shock, looking out. The truck on a collision course with the on coming train.

"DARRRRYYYYY!", Trish yells. The train roars ahead. Its whistle blasting as the truck reaches the tracks at the same moment.  
The headless creature struggling. Darry clutching its arm, helping it to remain impaled to the roof of the truck as-

A loud crashing is heard and seen. The train smashes into the truck.

The truck concaves immediately. 

Ralturing the gas tank and exploding in a savage ball of fire that sends rockets of smoke and flame launching out of the inferno in all directions.

Trish is already crying. Sobbing as the blast lights her bruised and bleeding face.

Its raining debris now. Fiery debris and bits and pieces of cloths and metal. Nothing human comes out.   
Trish stares ahead from the grass, sobbing. Inconsolable in the tall gas. Amongst the smoke, a figure comes walking out.   
Trish looks up. "We need to get back to the station.", Alex says. Trish is still frozen. "Police are already on the way.

I have to go find Darry.", Alex says. "Hes not in there?", Trish asks. "No. Last minute, Darry was ripped out of the truck.

You ride back to the police station. Im going to track Darry down by his scent as well as its thoughts.", Alex says. 

He turns and speeds off into the distance. The police show up. Trish is back in her frozen state.   
They get her up and into the back of one of the police cars. They wrap her in a blanket. Shes still in shock.   
Workers sifting through the ash and debris of what lay across the tracks. Jezelle knocks on the window.

Trish rolls down the window.

"Your parents are waiting for you at the station. I heard it on the scanner.", Jezelle says.

Trish doesnt look up at her. Just stares out. Jezelle draws a breath and starts to step away. 

"Your dreams were wrong.", Trish says. Jezelle stops. She turns around and looks at Trish. 

"Sometimes. Darry didnt die like you said he would.", She says. "Sometimes.", Jezelle says.   
Jezelle nods in a silent agreement. Though, there is something in her eyes nobody can discern.   
She turns away and moves towards her winnebago. Trish is looking on. Somehwhere, Trish hears the tune of Jeepers Creeper's. 

Its the instrumental version. Playful. Strange and horrifying in the context of the situation involving this song.

Meanwhile, somewhere off that same country 2 lane road, in the long shadow of the dying sun, an old packing plant sits.

Its rusted and sagging. Alex has tracked and found where Darry's scent leads. 

As Alex approaches, he hears faintly, the music playing. He gets inside and moves down. 

He moves towards the ground beneath the old structure. He hears Darry's screams.   
He moves into the lower level and enters darkness. In the darkness, the music continues to play.   
Sounds like its being played on a phonograph somewhere. An old one. Alex gets closer and the music gets louder. 

He moves through the empty halls. At the end if which, in the long shadows, a tall figure in a cape-like coat busies himself. 

The screams are now silent. Alex watches as he busies himself but can see with what. 

Sewing. Stitching. His fingers working nimbly with coarse black thread. Alex now sees the wall is not entirely empty. 

Several bodies are mounted there. Not the ancient dead they saw underground at the church.  
Theses are fresher of much more recent demise. Sewn together in the same grizzly fashion he knows too well.  
Its then, he hangs a new body next to them. He hangs them on a hook which Alex cant see.

Thats when he sees it. A young Darry. Eye lids sewn shut with large, nasty looking stitiches. 

The latest addition in this new mural of human horrors.

The instrumental bridge of the song ends and the lyrics echo in this vast underground chamber.   
Alex's breath is ripped from his lungs seeing Darry. The music echos as he backs away from this sad and grizzly sight. 

The creature begins to sew Darry onto the others. 

Alex gets out of the building. He crashes to his knees. Tears running down his face. 

He changes into his demon form. With one breath, he lets out a loud roar. Any animals nearby run away. 

Down below. The creature hears Alex. A sinnister grin spreads across its face. 

Alex remains in his form. His wings spring from his back and he shoots up, disappearing into the sky....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this story isnt over. Its all 3 movies in one to make a long story. This is just the end of the first part out of 3. There will be more to come.


	22. -21-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is based on watching the movie. I couldnt find the official script but im basing it off of the movie so if it seems off, just watch Jeepers Creepers 3. Youll see whats going on.

*23 year prior*

Its the middle of the night. The sound of a man heavily breath is the only thing to be heard. 

A man running for his life. In tow, is a figure in all black. It has thrown a ninja star made of bones and flesh.

It barely messes the man and he jumps over the fence the star sticks into. 

The figure, only a few feet behind, grabs its star from the fence post. The man makes it to a road. 

Headlights lit him up. "Help!", the man yells. He waves his arms, trying to get the attention of the driver  
"Help!! Heeeeeelp!", the man yells. The car stops right in front of the man.  
The moment the car stops, something with a pair of very large bat wings swoops down. 

And in a flash, they are gone. Both shoot up towards the night sky. The driver, in shock at what he just saw. 

He stares out the front windshield. Hes not sure what the hell he just saw. 

He leans forward, looking up to the sky they just vanished to. Vanished like dust in the wind.

The driver opens his door. The silence is broken by a loud, ear piercing shrieking.  
This makes the driver jump from his seat. He gets out of the car and immediately looks up to the sky.

Still not seeing anything, he scans the sky. Without a warning, a bloody machete comes down, sticking into the hood of the car.

The driver ducks for safety. He stays ducking down for a moment before peering up and see what came down. 

He sees the machete and continues to scan the sky. Thats when a hand came falling from the sky.

*present time.*

Every 23 years, for 23 days, it gets to eat and the things it leaves behind, like the thing it left in Poho County that night. 

the nightmare on 4 wheels, was a horror all its own. 

Back at the police station, the swat team finds a truck. Similar to the one the creature had been using to scare the trio.  
It was identical to it. When the swat open up the back, the inside was also identical.  
It also had bodies in the back. Wrapped with rope in white sheets with red stains. 

All of the officers shine their lights inside. "Oh!", an officer says. "Go get the Sargent.", the same officer says. 

The officer next to him goes and gets him. "Sargent!", he calls the first time. 

On his way into the building, he calls for the Sargent once more.

He walks into the building. Theres officers and swat team surrounding the truck. 

"We got the truck open", the officer tells the Sargent. The Sargent and one other officer come speed walking out of the building.  
Everyone makes a path for the Sargent to see. The Sargent gets a flashlight and shines it inside.  
"Five...", the first officer says. "God damn slaughter house on wheels.", he says. They continue to examine the truck.

The Sargent flashes the light to the front of the truck. He shines it on some sort of radio or scanner.

"Police scanner...", the officer says. "Its been listening to us.", he adds. 

The Sargent's flashlight shines on an odd shaped skull. No lower jaw. It has 2 long fangs in the front and 4 smaller ones on each side of the top jaw.

"Whatever it is.", The Sargent starts. "Some of this stuff, i dont wanna know what its made of.", the other officer says. 

They all still examine the odd skull. "Where the hell's that tow truck?", The Sargent asks. 

"En route.", an approaching female officer says. "Coroner is still down near the jail.", she adds.

"Should i get him up here?", she asks. An officer peeks inside the truck with his head. He looks deeper inside. 

"Those aren't for sewing.", an officer says, shining his light on some spools of thick leather stings.

"I dont wanna know for what.", the other officer says, pointing inside the truck.

At that moment, it triggers some sort of trap. A row of spikes come down and impale the officers shoulder and arm.

He lets out a blood curtling scream. Other officers try to get him away from the spikes.  
The spikes soon retreat back up, freeing the officer. Surrounding officers grab him and help him get away from the truck. 

They get him away and the other officers and swat raise thier firearms at the truck. 

"Get that god damn thing in the impound!", the Sargent yells. Right after, the back doors slam shut on their own. 

The Sargent immediately turns around. Everyone gasps. The Sargent's jaw drops in shock.  
He turns back to the rest of the crew, shocked at what hes witnessing along with all the others.  
Rounding the corner, several more vehicle comes with flashing red and blue lights. 

They come speeding towards the building. All pull up. Sheriff Dan Tashtego gets out of his vehicle. 

He pauses as he gets to the hood of his vehicle. "Oh my god.", Sheriff Dan says. He then proceeds to walk towards the truck. 

Several officers have their weapons raised at the truck.

Several more men who came with Sheriff Dan line up as back up. All wearing brown leather jackets with a patch on thier arms.

The patch is a skull with a bat wing coming from its head. Its like a organization meant for stuff like this.  
Dan takes off his hat. "I dont believe it.", he says. The Sargent whips around and looks at Dan.  
Sargent Tubbs marches up to him. "Jesus christ, where the hell have you been?", he hisses.

"How many you lose tonight?", Dan asks. Tubbs takes a deep breath. "You hold it together and you answer me!", Dan hisses. 

Tubbs clenches his jaw. "Alot of officers and an inmate down in the jail.", Tubbs says. 

"And then there were 3 others. 2 are missing. Sister is on her way to the station. Parents are inside.", Tubbs adds on. 

"One being Darius. The one it was after.", Dan says. "Darry Jenner. His sister is a train wreck. Same for their old folks.", Tubbs says.

Dan begins walking back to a vehicle. Tubbs in tow behind him.  
"Where was the last place you saw it?", Dan asks. Right after dan asks that question, a spear shoots from the exhaust pipe.

Impaling the police car Dan was just leaning on. 

The hit is so hard, it breaks all the glass windows and leaves a dent in the side of the car. 

Dan and other surrounding officers managed to jump out of the way. 

They all shield themselves from the flying glass. They all get back up and look at the spear.

They look closer at it and see it has carvings on it. It has very odd carvings and markings.  
They all take their flashlights and shine it on the cord connecting to the truck. 

Smoke blows out the pipe. Looking at the spear, it looks like it was hand carved with a hand made blade as the spear.

"Dont touch that and stay back!", Dan warns the two with the patches on their jackets.

As Dan warns them, the spear violently is pulled out and is sucked back into the pipes of the truck. 

More officers are on the ground from dodging the spear. 

They all continue to stare at where the spear had disappeared to. 

Dan picks up his hat from off the ground. He picks it up and dusts it off. Glass bits fall from it. 

He turns to Tubbs. "Show me.", He says. Tubbs shows him the broken window upstairs.  
The window 2 officers had been thrown out of. Glass all over the grass below the window.  
Two body bags now from that. Tubbs walks around the glass. "We threw everything we had at it, Danny.

All the firepower and manpower this building had to offer.", Tubbs says. Both stare at the broken window.  
"And it just made a whole lot of noise and chased after what it wanted.", Dan says.

"Theres two trucks.", Tubbs says. Dan looks at Tubbs. "2?", Dan asks. Tubbs nods.

"The kids took off in one of the trucks he had. Its identical to this one. Then theres this one. 

Some how, both trucks managed to get here. I watched those kids get into one and drive off. 

The second one was where it still is parked.", Tubbs says. "Theres also 2 of the creatures.", Tubbs adds.

"What did this other one look like?", Dan asks. "Similar but a lighter grey skin tone. It also had two different eye colors.  
One blue and one red. It shifts in and out of looking human and then into looking like that creature.", Tubbs says.  
"They are both here together.", Dan says. Off in the distance, voices call for the sheriff.

A few guy in the leather jacket with a patch comes to Dan and Tubbs. "Dont you want us tailing that truck?", he asks.

"They just towed it out of here.", another guy says. "Oh no, no, no, no!", Dan yells. 

They all begin running back to where the truck was. "Cant reach them.", another one says.  
"They're not answering any frequency!", another adds on. "Where they takin it?", Dan asks.  
"To impound. Where else?", Tubbs says. "Jesus christ, we couldnt leave it sitting there!", Tubbs says. 

"You saw what it did!", Dan says. "We gotta get an armada around that thing. You make it happen, now!", Dan hollers.

Everyone scrambles around. Dan goes to his vehicle. "Anyone, everybody! Get on out there! Move fast!", Dan adds, giving everyone orders.

Tubbs still following Dan to his vehicle. "Just a god damn minute, Danny!", Tubbs calls to Dann.

"You tell me how the hell you know about any of this!", Tubbs demands, pointing a finger at dan.  
Dan throws his hat in his vehicle. "'Cause what happened here, happened before!", Dan hisses. 

"You think that thing torched that church tonight because it wanted a campfire?

It was destroying information! Trying to get rid of what it doesnt want us to know!", Dan hisses.

"And that truck? That truck is that thing's rolling history. The second truck was a decoy truck for those kids.", Dan adds.

"Which is why we get it in the impound and tear it apart!", Tubbs says.  
"It aint gonna make it to the impound!", Dan hisses, getting into his vehicle. 

As this is all happening, they were all being watched. Up on top of the building, a dark figure stands on the ledge, watching.

His mismatch eyes watching everyone running around like frightened cats. He smells a familiar scent.  
"Oh, sheriff danny...", Alex says, slow and creepy like. He heard the whole conversation as well as saw the booty trap truck.  
Everyone gets into their vehicles and take off. Once its all cleared, he sees a single police car come back.

An officer gets out. He goes to the back door and opens it. Alex sees Trish wrapped up in a blanket. 

He guides her inside. Seeing Trish snaps him back into his good state of mind. 

He jumps from the top of the building. He lands behind the building. He tries to find a way to change his appearance, 

He finds Trish's car. He gets inside and changes. He puts on fresh clothing. 

Once he changes, he walks into the building. He sees Trish. Shes with 2 older folk.  
Alex assumes its her parents. "Trish...", Alex says. Trish looks in his direction.  
She runs up and hugs him. She sobs into his chest. "Where is he?", she asks. 

"Packing plant somwhere on this highway.", Alex whispers to her. "Is... is he?", she tries to get it out but Alex knew what she meant.

"No... he has started a new mural. He added Darry to it. He took his eyes.", Alex says.

“He regenerated and now its like he's brand new. New parts and everything.", Alex says. 

The sun is rising. Alex just holds Trish....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its very tedious to watch the movie as week as write everything i see and hear while watching the movie. I could have based it on the official original script they trashed but i may save that for another time. 🖤❤️


	23. -22-

At the same time, underground at that packing plant, the creature is halted. He can sense his truck is being moved.  
He stops his work. He makes his way up and shoots out of the building. He begins searching for his truck.   
Down the highway, the tow truck has BEATINGU on the back. "It looks like a Rio.", the driver says. "An old chevy Cab-o. Cab over engine. Id say 1940s.", the driver adds. 

"That cow-catcher's gotta be custom. You wanna tell me what the hell a truck like that needs a cow-catcher for?", The driver asks the female cop from the station.

The driver pulls out a cigarette and lights it. The cop looking back at the truck. 

"If you knew what was inside that thing, that wouldnt be your only question.", the cop says. 

She turns and faces forward. They both continue to drive down the highway, unaware of what lurks up above.

Crows all around them cawing. The radio begins to make noise. "Dana, listen up and listen good!", A voice comes over the radio.   
"Im sending units to you right now. Code 3, you read me?", the voice says. They 2 look at one another. 

"Code 3!", the Sargent says. "C-come again, Sargent?", She says. 

"Just tell that driver to put his foot on the gas and drive like hell to...", the Sargent says but his voice cuts out.

Unaware, the creature has found his truck. He lands on the back with his truck. 

He pulls out his battle axe. He walks the length of his truck. He draws his axe back and cuts the chains holding his truck. 

As he strikes, sparks can be seen. Both the cop and driver whirl around as the sparks fly. 

"What the hell?", the driver says. He slams on his breaks. The truck begins to roll off the back of the tow truck. 

"What is that?", the cop says. "Jesus christ!!", the driver says. The truck continues to roll off the back.  
"Holy shit!", the driver says. The truck stops. Both the cop and driver jump out of the truck. Cop has her hand on her gun.   
The driver jumps out and goes to the cop on the passenger side. Both look at the truck.

They see a dark figure standing on the top of the truck. Lights all on and moving. The 2 stare at the creature. 

The creature is driving the truck while still on top of it. They stare as the truck passes them.

Both in shock at what they are seeing. The creature looks back at them as he passes them.

They watch as the truck drives itself away. 

The creature takes his hate off and holds it in his hands.   
He takes great big whiffs of air, smelling them.   
Meanwhile, on the same highway, Danny and Tubbs as well as others chase after that tow truck. 

"Fear... has a scent and ive seen that thing inhale it. Like it could sample fear, right out of the air.", Danny says.

The cop and driver watch as the truck disappeare down the hill. 

"Dispatch, this is Lang with the impound vehicle, please respond.", Officer Lang says. 

"Thats how it picks what parts of us to eat and it eats... to rebuild itself.", danny says. 

"Captin, are you in range?", Lang asks. "This is Dana. We have a situation with the impound vehicle.", she says.

The driver remains frozen in the road, looking after where the vehicle came from.   
Dana gets out of the tow truck. Now both are looking after where the truck disappeared to.   
"You hear that?", The driver says. Both breathing heavily now. "Its coming back.", the driver says. 

Over the hill, lights can be seen shining. The truck is coming back their way. 

It stops at the top of the hill. This time, no one is on top of the truck. 

Both Dana and the driver are frightened. They stare, waiting for something to happen. 

A sudden ear piercing screech can be heard. They begin to frantically search everywhere for where the screeching came from.  
The driver moves backwards. Looking up into the sky. "What the?", he says. Dana moves forwards, looking around.   
The silence of the night is soon interrupted as the creature comes down on top of the driver.

Dana turns around with her gun now drawn and aimed at the creature. 

The creature's wings fully extended, pinning the driver to the asphalt.

The driver makes a noise as if hes being choked. His eyes show fear. The creature growls. 

Her eyes are wide. Shes frozen in fear. The creature put his index finger up and moves it side to side, as if telling her no. 

The driver groans in pain. He then screams for help.   
Before her eyes, the creature takes off into the sky with the driver.   
Her head follows where they went. She searches the sky but loses where they went. 

She turns back to the truck. She hears it being moved around as if something was thrown inside. 

The doors being slammed shut. The truck begins to go in reverse. Dana chases after the truck. 

"Stop! Stop!", She yells, still chasing after the truck. "Frank! Frank!", she yells, still chasing the truck.

"It never hunts in the same place for more than a day. Its done with Poho county.", Danny says.

"All we can do now is head north and follow the birds.", Danny adds. "Its not much, but its all we know.", Danny says.

Dana remains sitting back in the tow truck, waiting for the others. Her knees pressed to her chest.  
Tears tunning down her face in fear and sadness. "Ravens and crows. They travel when it does.", Danny says.   
"Davis, ive looked that ugly thing eye-to-eye. 23 years ago. I know it. And it knows me.", Danny says, finishing telling Davis what he knows about the creature. 

What they dont know, is its Alex Danny is talking about. Danny has come face to face with Alex. They have a history.   
Danny believes Alex is the one behind all of this but in reality, its his counterpart.

Some time has passed. The sun has risen and turns the sky pink. 

Somehwere close, a house. Crows and Ravens come to this house. 

A lady stands at the front door, looking out into her front yard and sees the crows and ravens. 

She opens the door and the birds fly away. She steps out onto her front porch, leaving the door open.

She throws on a jacket and walks down the steps. Not far is a hill with a single tree grown.   
She sees a figure waving at her. She goes towards the figure but pauses at a tree nearby.   
She makes sure that what shes seeing is real. The figure waves at her again. 

She continues to go to the figure by the single grown tree.

Getting closer, its a man in a suit. Getting even closer, she sees his cloths are torn up and ripped up. Hes dirty.

"Why do you do this?", the woman asks. "It hurts too much, seeing you like this...", she says.

"Mom, just listen, okay?", the man hisses. "Time is up. Its coming back, just like i said.", he says.

"Why?", she asks. "Stop asking. It doesnt matter.", he snaps. 

"You tell me why its coming here.", she says. "Pieces of it left behind.", he says. She snaps her head towards him.   
"They're full of secrets about it.", he confesses. "Thats whats buried up here? A piece of it?", she asks.  
"Theres no more time. Its coming here, and you cant be here when it does.", he says. 

"How do you know its coming?", she asks, her voice sounding like shes on the verge of tears.

"Im apart of it now! How many times do i have to tell you that?", He hisses. 

"It knows whats buried here, and it will come and take it back.", he says. 

"Oh, killing you wasnt enough?", she hisses. "Why didnt it take it 23 years ago?", she asks. 

"It ran out of time! It always runs out of time. I cant keep telling you this.", he hisses.  
"If you wont leave to save yourself, then do it to save Addison.", he says.   
"Addison?", she asks. "Addison?", she says again. 

At the same moment she says the name, a girl wakes up in her room back at the house. 

Addison sits up in her bed. "What are you talking about?", the woman's voice can be heard in Addison's room.

Addison gets up from her bed and goes to her window. 

"do you think we have any money?", the woman's voice can be heard again. 

Addison sees her grandmother by the tree, talking to someone she cant see. "Kenny...", the woman says. 

"Are you listening to youself?", the woman continues to talk. "Are you listening to yourself?", she asks again.  
Addison watches her grandmother continue to talk to no one. "How are we supposed to do that?", the woman asks.

"Where are we supposed to go?", the woman asks. A moment goes by. "Ugh. Just leave!", she hollers.

"Just pack up and go! Pack up everything", she hollers. Addison leaves her window.

"Leave to where?", the woman asks. "It knows its here, mom, 'cause im apart of it, and its apart of me!", The man says. 

"Today, tomorrow, or sometime soon, its going to walk up this hill and dig this thing up right where im standing.", he says.  
He pauses for a moment. "And when it comes, itll kill anyone that's still here.", he adds. They both look at one another.  
"Go away, mom. Now.", he says. He turns to leave. On his back is stitches. Like all his victims before. 

The woman sees and gasps at the sight on her son's back. That alone sends her into tears. 

Addison somes to the same tree the woman was at prior to walking up the hill.

She has a coat on now. She watches as her grandmother drops to her knees and cries. 

Later that morning, Addison opens up the doors to her stables. Shes dressed in jeans and her boots.   
The moment she opens the doors, her horse begins whining. "Good morning, handsome.", Addison says to her horse.   
She walks into the stables. She approaches a white horse. She pets the tip of his nose. 

"Hey. You hungry buddy?", she asks, petting him. She walks over to the corner by the door. 

"Damn.", she says, seeing theres no more hay for him. She goes back to her horse. "Come on.", she says. 

"Gotta go talk to grandma.", she says, pulling down a harness. "I dont wanna do it alone.", she adds.

She gets him hooked uo and rides him out of the stables.   
She goes to find her grandmother but finds her on a tractor in the middle of the field.  
She rides her horse towards her grandmother. Fog surrounding both of them. 

"Grandma?", Addison calls out to the woman. The woman doesnt move and remains perfectly still. 

"Are you okay?", Addison asks. Her grandmother staring off into the fog. 

"Im taking the truck into town.", Addison says. Her grandmother still remaining frozen.

Other than her hair blowing in the wind. "We need hay.", Addison continues. After she said that, her grandmother finally turns and looks at her.

"Whos gonna pay for it?", the woman asks. "I was thinking maybe we still had credits at Hooks?", Addison says.

"He called again. We owe then more than we can pay.", The woman says. "Cal did say that he-"  
"Grandma, no.", Addison cuts her off. "Addy...", she says. "I already told you. Im not selling Rocket, Grandma.", Addison says.   
"Selling him would be like giving away my own child.", Addison fights. 

"What a good mother might have to do so that child wouldnt go hungry.", The woman says. 

Addison turns Rocket around. "I want you to go away for a few days. Maybe stay with Gracie?", fhe woman says. 

"Why?", Addison asks. 

"Can you?", the woman asks. 

Addison takes a moment to think. "Is there something that you dont want me here for?", Addison asks.

Without hesitation, the woman nods. "Yes.", she says. She then turns back to the hill with a single tree grown.

"Unexpected company.", she says...


	24. -23-

Back at the station, everyone is still running aroud. Danny and Davis both back with their group. 

"Youve got your team. Youve got experienced men who know this thing.", Davis says.  
"The team is more than law enforcement.   
The team of shopkeeps, farmers, and anyone who's looked this thing eye-to-eye and lived to tell about it and wants to do something about it!", Danny hisses.

Both look at each other for a moment, thinking of what their next words and moves are gonna be. 

"Davis. Davis! Hey!", Dan calls after Davis. "You the best god damn sharpshooter in all of Poho county, or any other county.", Dan says. 

Davis stops and turns around. "Youve got questions about that too, now?", Dan asks. 

Davis comes walking back to Dan. "When i raise my gun to that thing, I couldn't pull the god damn trigger 'cause i couldnt believe what the hell i was looking at.", Davis says. 

"This thing rewrites all the rules, Danny, and going after it, it scares the hell out of me.", Davis says.  
"A brave man is either scared... or a god damn liar.", Danny says, giving Davis a hat with a patch that matches the leather jackets some men are wearing.  
A truck comes speeding up. Couple men jump out of the truck. Something in the back covered by a cloth. 

One of the men jumps into the back with this covered object. Danny goes up to the truck. Men are putting crates into the back. 

"Boss.", the man says, setting the crate down. "Michael.", Danny says. 

Danny puts his hand up to another man carrying another crate. He puts the crate down in front of Danny.

He then opens it up, revealing large bullets. "This his old man's truck?", Danny asks.  
The man nods. He lowers his head and walks away. Danny walks up to the truck.   
He reaches in and takes the cloth off the object sitting in the back, revealing a large machine gun. 

Danny looks at Michael. "Its an old vulcan cannon.", Michael says.

"Shes amped up to shoot 20 millimeter rounds, 6000 rounds a minute.", Michael adds. 

"You tested this thing?", Danny asks. Michael lets go of one of the pieces of the cannon. 

"Mikey, is this thing tested?", Danny asks again. 

"This thing throws up a wall of fire. A wall of fire that nothing from this world or the next can get through!", Michael hisses. 

"Not without being torn into a million pieces.", Michael adds. He then jumps out from the back of the truck.   
He comes face to fave with Danny. "She may not fly, but this is our killing machine.", Michael says.  
Both him and Danny continue to look each other in the eyes, Danny can hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes.

Davis is watching all of this from a distance. He too turns and walks away. 

"Davis!", Danny hollers. Davis continues to walk away. Danny gaining on him.

"He watched that thing fly down and punch a hole in his old man.

He stood there and watched it pull the heart right out of his daddy's chest and swallow it, right before his eyes.", Danny says, showing with his hands what it did. 

Davis stops in his tracks and turns to look at Danny. "Miller was only ten years old.", Danny adds.   
Davis looks down. Dan grabs his arm. "Youre not losing your mind, Davis.", Danny starts again.  
"You just got blooded last night. Now you want to guess how much blood i got on my hands?", Danny asks.

"Youve seen that thing now. So you got blood on your hands too.", Danny says.

"And no matter what you do, its gonna stay there. Whether you walk away or not.", Danny says. 

Danny turns back to the others. "Rendezvous at station one! North!", Danny orders. 

Meanwhile, Addison is driving into town using the truck. She pulls into a place with the name "MATHERS" hanging outside above a mailbox. 

She honks her horn. A dark haired girl comes running down her front steps, waving. "Howdy!", she hollers.  
Addison almost comes to a complete stop when Gracie jumps on the truck. "Can i bag some hay off you?", Addison asks.   
"Sure, stranger.", Gracie says. "Our horses are up in boulder. Youre not up there with Rocket winning trophies?", Gracie asks.

"Cant even afford the gas to drive up there right now.", Addison says. 

"Whats the matter? Your grandma?", Gracie asks. 

"Yeah. She was up on the hill again this morning.", Addison says. 

This whole time, addison is driving slowly up their driveway with Gracie clinging to the driver door.

“Screaming at the wind. Calling it kenny?", Gracie asks. Addison nods. "Didnt he die like 20 years ago?", Gracie asks.

Gracie get off the truck. "Mom!", Gracie calls out. 

She goes to the front door only to see a large rabbit caught in a trap. 

Out comes Gracie's brother from around the corner with a helmet in hand. "You know you got a rabbit in that trap?", one of the girls say.

"Thats what its there for.", he says. "So. its suffering! You just gonna leave it in there?", Gracie asks.   
Her brother doesnt say a word and walks right past them. "Mom!", Gracie calls for her mom again.  
Her brother goes to his truck with a dirt bike in the back. Their mother comes out of the house. 

"Mom, hes got a rabbit in the trap.", Gracie says. Their mother comes marching towards them.

"Hey, Addy. Long time no see.", she says. "Mom said they were eating up her garden.", the brother says. 

"I didnt say you should trap them.", their mom says. "You didnt say i shouldnt.", he says. 

"Hows your grandma doing?", their mom asks. 

"He doesnt care about the garden. He traps them because he likes killing them.", Gracie hisses. 

At this time, Addison had gotten out of the truck and is standing next to Gracie.   
"Hes sick!", Gracie adds. The brother just continues to strap his bike into the back of his truck.   
He turns and comes back to the girls. "I mean, who likes to trap and kill things for fun, huh?", Gracie asks. 

"Psychos, maybe? Hes too stupid even though he is one.", Gracie turns to Addison just as shes shoved by her brother.

"Alright, stop!", their mother snaps. He goes to the caged up rabbit. 

"And you, take care of this before you leave. By which i mean, let it go.", their mother says.   
He crouches down to the cage. "Its not in any pain.", he says. "Dont leave it in the trap. Its cruel, honey.", Mom says. 

He takes a finger and brushes the cage. He then punches the cage, making the rabbit squeak.

Gracie gasps. He punches it a few more times. "Stop!", Mom yells. 

"Its a rabbit, mom. Do you know how small their brains are?", he asks. 

"Ten times bigger than yours?", Gracie says. "Then you let it out and i hope it bites you. Its a wild animal, idiot.", he hisses.

"Its either kill or be killed.", he says, turning back to his truck.

"Just let it go and stop trapping them, okay?", Mom says. He stops and turns to his mom. 

"Youre all a bunch of women.", he says, kissing his mother's cheek. 

He turns and goes back to his truck. "Kirk.", she calls for him. He ignores her. "Get back her.", she says. 

He still ignores her. He opens the truck door. "Tell them about the law of the jungle, will you, Addy?", Kirk says. 

Addison glares at him. He gets in his truck. 

"Kirk, get out of the car and let it go." Mom says. Kirk starts up his truck. 

He changes gears and speeds off. His mom hitting the truck befire he leaves. Mom turns and goes back to the girls.


	25. -24-

Meanwhile, Alex talks to Trish and her folks. He apologizes for what has happened. They take Trish back home.   
Once they are gone, Alex finally lets himself slip back into his rage and insanity. He loses all forms of good.   
Trish was the only one keeping him sane. Now that shes gone, all humanity has left. 

Losing Darry switches something in him and now all he wants to do is destroy everything in sight. 

Alex walks out of the police station. He smells the air. He tries to get a scent of his counterpart. 

Police still running all over the place. Thats when Davis spots him. Davis marches up to Alex. 

Danny follows close behind Davis. "Ah, Alex. Hows Trish holding?", Davis asks. "Shes still in shock. Parents took her and her car back home.", Alex says. 

Danny studies Alex's eyes. He notices they are 2 different eye colors.  
"How do you know Darry and Trish?", Danny asks. "They are my college classmates.  
Darry was my dormmate.", Alex says. Alex can smell Danny. That familiar scent. 

Davis goes to tell Danny who and what Alex is but he shakes his head. Davis doesnt say anything. 

"We gotta head out. Davis, round up your boys and lets go.", Danny says. Dravis give Alex a look. 

Danny walks away. "What?", Davis says. "We are hunting this thing. If we tell him im the same thing, they will kill me.", Alex says.

"Youre a good one, right?", Davis asks. Alex nods. "If i wasnt, id be killing conspicuously.", Alex says.   
"Okay. Let us know if you find him.", Davis asks. Alex nods. "Ill wait until everyone is gone before chasing him down.", Alex says. 

Davis nods and Alex goes back up the steps to the building. 

The wind blows and thats when it hits Alex. The smell of someone delicious. 

At the same time, he catches the smell of the creature. His eye snaps open. "Found ya.", Alex says. Alex goes out of sight. 

Once he knows hes out of sight, he launches into the sky. Only a whistle sound can be heard but its so faint.

Danny looks around but doesnt see anything. Alex follows scent of the creature. Its in the middle of a field.   
From high above, he sees a couple of teenagers or young adults riding on dirt bikes.   
He sniffs them out but none are afraid so he cant tell which he wants. He watches where they are going. 

They soon come to a stop. 

Removing their helmets and get a better look at whats in front of them. Kirk is one of the 4 kids.  
  
"What the hell is that?", Red asks. Alex looks at what they are staring at. 

Its BEATINGU. He parked the truck all the way out in the field. Alex comes down from the sky.

He watches from a distance, not wanting to be seen. He hasnt eaten in quiet some time. 

"Somebody just ditched it out here?", Jody asks.   
"Hell, i would.", a Luke says. "What do you think's in it?", Red asks.

"Rust and cow shit. What do you think's in it?", Kirk says. 

Kirk is the first off his bike and the other 3 follow. They drag their bikes with them.

"No way.", Red says. "Oh hell no.", Luke says. "'No way' what?", Kirk says.  
"Look at the license plate.", Red says. "Beating you?", Kirk says.  
"B-Eating you. And no fucking way.", Red says. "Right.", Jody says. 

"No way. That story's bullshit.", Kirk says. "No, no. I heard it really happened.", Luke says. 

"Yeah, i did too.", Jode says. "Real people disappeared.", Red says. "20 years ago.", Jody adds. 

"23, and its just a story.", Kirk says. 

"What story?", Red says. 

Meanwhile, all 4 walking towards the truck. They set their bikes down a couple yards from the truck.

"The guy who drove around and ate people.", Jody says.  
"In a scary ass old truck with that license plate.", Luke says.   
"Jeepers creepers.", Jody says. The other 3 turn and look at him. 

"What?", Jody asks. No one says anything. "Wasnt that the song the guy sang or something?", Jody says. 

They all turn back to the truck. Alex still patiently waiting. In the shadows of the nearby trees.

"Look, its homemade.", Kirk says. 

"At least one idiot every halloween makes a license playe that says that.", Kirk adds. 

"You think it just drove in?", Red asks. "The tracks look fresh.", Jody adds.   
They inch closer and closer to the truck, unaware of what its capable of.  
"You think somebody could be in there?", Jody asks. "Yea, its warm.", Red says, putting his hands on the truck.

"Of course its warm, you dipshit. Its been sitting out in the sun.", Kirk says.

He then shoves Red by his head, moving him out of his way. They all examine the truck. 

Who'd dump it out here?", Luke asks. "Who wouldnt?", Kirk responds. 

They continue to walk around the truck. Kirk comes to the driver door. He jumps up on the steps to the door.

"Hello?", he calls out to whoever may be inside. He peeks, or tries to peek, into the driver side window.   
"Cant see shit.", Kirk says. The windows are so heavily tinted, its hard to see inside.

"I'd say we beat it in case they come back.", Luke says. Kirk still tries to look inside. 

"Anybody in there?", Kirk calls out for someone again. 

Kirk goes to bang on the window only for a banging to scare the hell out botj Kirk and Luke.

Kirk immediately jumps off the truck. Both kids jumps back. 

"Hey! Hello in their!", Jody says.

Kirk comes around the the other side to see Jody and Red banging on the other side of the truck.  
"What the fuck is wrong with you, man?", Kirk asks, pissed off now. "What?", Jody asks.   
"I was just knocking.", Jody says. "Well dont! Idiot.", Kirk says, shoving Jody and then banging the side of the truck.

"Whats this thing on the front?", Red asks, walking to the front of the truck. 

"What thing?", Jody asks. 

"This thing im peeing on.", Red says, literally peeing on the front of the truck.

Jody kicks it. "Its a cow catcher. They put it on front of trains back in the old days.", Jody says.

"Who'd put it on a truck?", Luke asks. "This thing is made up of so many different parts. Its like a frankenstein truck.", Jody says.

At that moment, Ravens and Crows begin cawing. The boys all look around them.

Alex knows hes here but remains hidden.   
"Man, i say we get the hell out of here.", Luke says, walking back towards their bikes.

"Wait, break the windows first?", Jody says, grabbing him by the arm.

"Hell yes we do!", Red says. "We gotta kill Frankenstein's truck, right?", Red asks.

They all gas each other up. "Dibs on the window shield!", Luke says, nudging Jody. 

Luke grabs a rock and goes to the fron of the truck. "Kiss my ass, you ugly old bitch!", He says.  
He brings his arm back and proceeds to throw the rock at the front of the truck.   
What he wasn't expecting was the rock to bounce back at him as if the rock was thrown back at him. 

Jody laughs at the kid. "You see that?", Luke asks. At the back, Kirk is climbing the back. 

"Thing tried to kill me, nicked my fuckin' ear.", Luke says. 

Kirk pulls at the back handles. He tries to get it to open up. 

"Maybe it tries to kill things more stupid than it.", Jody jokes. Kirk hits the truck with his palm.

He starts heading back but the back doors open right up for him. 

Kirk whirls around at the now open doors. The other three come around to see. All 4 stare into the back of the truck.

"What the hell?", Red says. They move close to the back doors.  
They see the bodies wrapped and roped in white sheets with red stains.  
"Those cant be real.", Luke says. "Those flies are real.", Red says. 

"The smell is real.", Kirk says. Kirk peaks his head inside, unaware of the traps this truck is full of.

"Oh jeez.", Kirk says. He backs up just in time to avoid being impaled by the row of spikes up above. All 4 fly backwards in fear.

They soon catch on that messing with this truck was a bad thing and they all scramble to their bikes.

The spikes retract and the back doors close.   
They all 4 jump on their bikes. They dont bother with the helmets.

They jump on their bikes and take off.

They take off but they are unaware of whats about to hit them.

Below the back of the truck, a pipe drops out and the same spear shoots out. 

While the boys swerve around, the spear managed to penatrate through Kirk's leg, snatching him off his bike.  
He lets out a loud scream as he flies backwards. The others stop to help Kirk.   
"Get it out!", Kirk yells. He hisses in pain. "We gotta call someone.", Jody suggests. 

"Just get it the hell out!", Kirk yells again. "What do you want us to do?", Jody asks.

"Alright, its long enough. I can pull it out. Do you want me to pull it out?", Luke asks. 

"Just call someone!", Red says. 

"Theres no fucking service out here so shut up about the god damn phone, alright?", Luke says. 

"Kirk, look at me.", Luke says. "Just do something!", Kirk says.   
"Like what? What the fuck do you want us to do?", Jody asks. 

"You want us to try and pull it out?", Jody asks. Kirk frantically nods his head.

"Alright, hold him up.", Luke says. They all 3 help get Kirk back up onto his feet. 

Jody and Red hold Kirk by his arms. Luke looks at his leg. "Oh shit.", Luke says. 

He gets down behind Kirk. He grabs ahold of the spear "okay. On 3. You ready?", Luke says.   
"Hold him steady, come on!", Luke says, gripping the spear.   
Alex's mouth waters just watching and smelling the blood. The fear coursing through their bodies.

He can hardly contain himself. 

"On 3, im going to pull like a son of a bitch, you guys ready?", Luke asks. 

The other two keep a hold on Kirk and try to keep him still. 

"One!", Luke yells. Alex is growing hungrier and hungrier with each second passing. 

"2!", Luke yells. A sound can be heard from the truck. The sound of creaking metal.   
Luke stops and looks back at the truck. They all look back at the truck.

They all heard that creaking. The creaking was the pipe reeling the cord back. 

"Oh sh-", Luke says.

"Fuck!", Jody yells.

Luke is trying to pull the spear out while its reeling Kirk in. 

They all try to help free him but its reeling him back to the truck.

"Help, Help!", Kirk yells. Kirk continues to scream for help but nothing can help. His friends are trying to but the spear wont come out. 

Red falls to the ground. Luke runs back to the truck.

"Red!", Kirk yells. Red takes off back to his bike. 

Jody tried to keep helping Kirk. Kirk screams for Red but he doesnt listen. He grabs his helmet and runs to his bike.  
Luke tries to stop the pipe from reeling Kirk in. He tries to hold the rope but didnt work.   
He tries to find a stop switch for the pipe. Both Jody and Luke hold onto Kirk and try pulling him away from the truck. 

Red gets his bike running and takes off. Its at this point, Alex knew who he wanted. 

He picked out who he wanted and waits for the right time. 

The cord is completely reeled in. Kirk is stuck to the truck. He continues to cry for help. 

"Dont leave me.", Kirk says. 

“Im not. I dont know what to do.", Luke says.

"Maybe we can cut the cable.", Jody says. "With what?", Luke says. 

"Try the phone again!", Kirk hisses. "Oh my god...", Luke mumbles pulling out his phone again...


	26. -25-

"Come on!", Kirk yells. Luke tries dialing numbers but no one was aware of their predators lurking nearby.  
A loud thump is heard and a body falls from the sky. They all look over and see a body.  
Wings are flapping. They all look up just as the creature lands on the edge of the back of the truck.

Both jody and Luke back up from the truck. 

The creature examines both of them. Thats when another creature comes from the woods. 

Alex emerges from the shadows. He stands next to the truck. He stares the boys down as well.

The creature folds his wings back. The boys are frozen in fear. Alex and the creature look at one another. 

Alex's eyes meets the creature's. Alex gives a nod to the creature.  
For the first time in their history, they are teaming up for the sole purpose of feeding.  
Both have an understanding of each other that they need to eat. Alex hasnt eaten in a long time.

Both growl at the boys. The boys take off running. Alex looks back at the creature. 

He uses his head to motion him to get those two. "Ill get the other one.", Alex says. 

The creature drops down the grass. He hits the back door and it swings open, knocking Kirk down. Alex launches into the sky, going after Red.  
The creature get one of his longer and bigger spears. He draws it back and aims. 

He waits for them to line up. He focuses on his aim. 

Once he knows they are lined up, he draws his hand back further and he strikes.

He throws the spear and it impales both boys, pinning them to a tree. The creature retrieves his spear and comes back to the truck.

As hes walking back, hes whistling a tune. He puts his spear back in place.  
He closes the back of the truck. He goes to the drivers door. He stops right at the door.  
He then goes to the front of the truck. Hes sees a wet stain from when Red pissed on his truck.

He examines it. He inhales it and knows exactly what it is. This angers him. 

He growls in anger but knows that Alex will take care of him.

Alex follows his scent. Hes getting closer to the road. Red is zooming through the woods trying to escape.  
Hes only about 50 feet from the road. He tries to wave people down and yells for them to stop.  
Alex cant have any more people know about their kind. Red sees a truck and tries to wave them down.

Red flies into the air. Its like time has slowed down. Alex's wings are spread out and ready to strike. 

With a swift and almost an instant movement, Red was gone and his bike crashes to the ground. 

Alex goes back to the truck with the creature. He has Red tight in his grasps. The creature finishes loading up Jody and Luke. 

Kirk still attached to the pipe. "Please, dont kill us.", Kirk pleads. "Please. We didnt mean anything. We thought it was a prank truck.", Red also pleads.

Alex looks at the creature. Both grin at one another. "Cheers.", Alex says.  
Alex doesnt waste a single second. He rips Red apart. Kirk watches in horror. He screams for help.  
Alex gets messy and nearly swallows every inch of Red's body. The creature grabs Kirk. 

Kirk tries to fight it off. The creature rips the spear out of his leg, letting it go back inside the pipe.

He picks Kirk up and throws him in the back of the truck. He closes the doors. 

He goes to his truck door and stops just as he opens the door. 

The creature looks back at Alex. He puts his hat back on. 

He tips his hat at Alex and gets in the truck. He starte his truck up and off he goes. 

Meanwhile, Addison is still at Gracie's house. Gracie goes to her mother. "Whats out in the hay barn?", Gracie asks.  
"Dad took what we had.", Her mom says. "Thats okay. Im on my way out to Hooks anyways.", Addison says.

She makes her way to the truck. Gracie gives her a look. 

"Oh are you?", Gracie asks, following close behind Addison.

"Yes, and shut up.", Addison says. "Buddy Hooks got a huge crush on Addy, Mom.", Gracie says, teasing Addison.

Addison opens the door to the truck. "And neither one of them are brave enough to do anything about it.", Gracie continues.

Addison gets into the truck but hesitates.  
"You wouldnt want to come with me to Hooks, would you?", Addison asks.

"And get in the way?", Gracie teases. 

Addison rolls her eyes and gets in the truck. Gracie closes the door for her.  
"Do you like him or not?", Gracie asks, holding onto the truck by the open window. 

Addison starts up the truck. She hesitates again. She turns to Gracie with a small smirk on her face. 

"He does have a really cute butt.", She says. Grace lets go of the truck and steps back. Both her and Addison both smile at one another.

Addison puts the teuck in reverse and starts going backwards. 

"And from that, springs love.", Gacie says. 

Gracie goes back towards the house but goes back to the trap with the bunny. Addison is already gone.  
Gracie tries to comfort that animal but it screeches at her and bangs against the cage, startling her.

Gracie crosses her arms. "Idiot.", she says, referring to Kirk.

Addison heads to Hooks and Son feed. She pulls up right in front of the loading area and parks.

As she pulls up, Buddy has smile on his face. 

Buddie jumps down from the bales of hay. Working with him is Jessie. Both stop doing hay.

Both of their attentions are now on Addison.

Addison gets out of the truck. "Hey you.", Buddy says. Addison flashes a small and quick smile.  
Buddy still has his smile. "You gonna be driving up to see us?", Buddy asks.  
"Go Eaton Valley, right?", Addison says. Buddy just smiles but it soon fades away. 

"So, 10 bales of alfalfa?", Buddy asks. Addison nods. Buddy nods. "Right.", he says. 

He goes to the wall right by the shop's opening and picks up a clipboard. 

She scans through the sheet to find her. "No grandma today, huh?", Jessie asks, almost in a joking manner with a smile. 

"How she doing?", Jessie asks. Addison doesn't respond. She looks down at the ground.

Buddy comes back with the sheet. He has a look on his face that reads something isnt good.

"Um...", he says, looking back and forth between Addison and the clipboard. "Youre not on the load list.", Buddy says.  
Addison looks down again. Jessie goes back to the hay. He looks between Buddy and Addison.  
"Uh oh.", he says. Buddy glances over at Jessie. "Do you wanna talk to my dad?", Buddy asks. 

Addison turns and marches into the office. "Do you want me to?", Buddy calls out to her.

She doesn't acknowledge him and keeps marching inside. She disappeares into the office. 

"I should put her on my load list.", Jessie says. Buddy glances back at him.  
"You know why she lives with her grandmother, right?", Buddy asks.  
Jessie makes a gesture suggesting hes asking why.

"Addy couldnt get along with her stepdad, so instead of kicking him out, her mom ships her ass out here to live with her crazy grandma.", Buddy says.

Jessie starts shuffling hay. "Can you really blame me, though? I mean, look at her.", Jessie says, jumping down from the stacks of hay.

"They heart wants what it wants, am i right?", Jessie asks. 

"Yeah. And mine wants you to shut the fuck up.", Buddy says.  
The tone of his voice and the facial expressions says it all. He doesnt like the way Jessie is talking about Addison.  
Just after Buddy says that, Addison comes marching out of the office. She marches to the truck.

Both him and Jessie whirl their heads towards Addison. 

Buddy tries to stop her. "So, um...", he says, walking with her. 

"Im just gonna go to Carlin's and see if we have some credits out there.", she says, hoping into her truck.

"Hey, just wait a minute.", Buddy says. She starts up the truck and speeds off. 

Buddy and Jessie watch as she speeds out of there.

Buddy goes and marches into the office where his dad, Cal is working.  
Call is signing papers as Buddy comes in. "What happened?", Buddy asks.

Cal disregards Buddy and hands him a paper. "Bernardi's. Load it up and get it out there now. Hes waiting for it.", Cal says. 

Cal goes back to signing papers as Buddy pulls out his wallet. He pulls money out of it.

Cal sees this and stops what hes doing. "What are you doing?", Cal asks.

"She loves that horse more than anything im the world, and right now its got nothing to eat.", Buddy says.

"'Cause they are broke.", Cal says.

"You think we're ever going to see the money that they owe us?", Cal asks.  
"They state's not even sending them checks anymore.", Cal adds, continuing to write on papers.

"And how do you know that?", Buddy asks. Cal stops his work once more. 

"Biggs down at the post office. How do you think?", Cal says and then goes back to his paperwork. 

"Make your point, Dad.", Buddy hisses. Cal hesitates. He pauses his writing once more. 

He looks at Buddy. "You can do better.", Cal says. "Thats my point.". Cal says.  
Buddy clenches his jaw in anger. He slams money on the desk. He them turns and storms out of the office. 

His dad watches him leave. He sighs deeply. 

Addison is on the road down to the next hay shop. As she drives, another vehicle comes and starts honking at her.

She snaps her head at the car next to her. Its Buddy with a truck full of hay. 

"Got some hay for you!", he shouts out the window. She looks back at the load he has.  
"Turn that thing around!", he shouts. He watches to make sure no cars are coming.  
"Lets get your horse some breakfast!", he shouts some more.

Addison just looks at him. "Whats the problem? I thought you said you has a hungry horse.", he shouts. 

The corners of Addison's mouth curl just a bit. They continue to drive back to Addison's grandmother's house....


	27. -26-

Addison's grandmother, Gaylen, is outside when Buddy and Addison pull up to the house.

They drive up to the barn. Gaylen has a shovel. 

She hides behind a nearby tree so they dont see her.

She watches them from the tree. 

Buddy unloads the truck into the barn. Addison takes some hay and starts feeding Rocket.   
She pets aling his neck. Buddy unloads the last bale. Addison looks back at him.   
"So, this is the famous Rocket, huh?", Buddy asks, approaching Addison and Rocket.

"Hes a beauty.", Buddy says, rubbing Rocket's head. 

"You understand what im saying, dont you?", Buddy says, talking to Rocket.

"Every word you're saying.", Addison says. "Yeah?", Buddy asks. Addison nods a little. 

"Well, in that case, do you think Addy here would ever be interested in seeing a guy like me?", Buddy asks.  
Addison's eyes meet his. Both look at one another. A few moments of silence passes.  
Addison turns and walks away, not knowing what to do or say. 

She walks over to the barn door, just by the hay storage is. 

"In the city...", she starts. "My mother and i had a cat.", she continues. "Addy...", Buddy says.

She turns to Buddy. "I liked the cat. Crapped in her boyfriends's shoes every chance it got.", she says.   
Buddy comes up behind her. Her back faces him. "What happened to the boyfriend?", Buddy asks.

"She married him.", she says, turning around and facing him once again.

"They got rid of the cat.", Buddy says. Addison makes eye contact once again with Buddy. 

"Look i...", Buddy starts. "Im not great at this, and when i get nervous, i start talking too much.", Buddy continues.

Buddy steps forward a little bit. He reaches out gently and slowly. "I, uh...", he starts again.

He grabs her hand. Addison looks down and then up again. Buddy whirls around.  
They sound of grunts and screaming can be heard. Both look out the barn doors. 

Buddy goes and investigates. Addison not far behind. 

As they look out the barn, they look up at that hill with one single tree growing.

They see Gaylen up on the hill. They see her digging and throwing dirt.   
Buddy watches her. "Is that your grandmother?", Buddy asks.   
Grunting and crying, she digs up whatever shes looking for. 

Buddy rubs the back of his neck. Addison starts to panic.

"Thank you for the hay, but please just go.", Addison says, sounding like shes almost on the verge of tears. 

Buddy turns back to her. He looms at her and his eyes shows sadness.

Addison turns her back to him. "You wouldnt wanna come?", Buddy asks.   
Addison stops in her tracks. She turns back towards him.

"I mean, i gotta get the rest of this stuff up to Bernardi's. 

You ever been up there?", Buddy asks. "Its really something.", he says, trying to convince Addison to go with him.  
"I mean, only if you want to.", he says. "Id love to.", Addison says. Buddy smiles. "Okay.", he says. 

He goes around to the passenger side and opens the door for her. She walks up and gets into the truck.

During this, Gaylen finally digs enough and starts using her gloves to keep digging further. 

She suddenly stops digging. She looks up and sees the spirit of her son, Kenny.   
He looks down at her with a furious look on his face.

"What are you doing?", he asks. 

"I need to know what you found.", she says. "Mom, what are you doing?", he asks again, yelling this time.

"And why it killed you for it.", she adds from her last sentence.

"No you dont. You dont want to see what itll show you.", he hisses.

"Go! Away!", she yells. She screams go away over and over again until Kenny finally vanishes.

She then goes back to digging with her gloves. She feels something. 

She grabs the shovel and digs it the rest of the way out.   
A brown sack. She uses the shovel to hold it as she examines the bag.   
She gets up from her knees with the shovel in hand. She found what she was looking for.

On the highway, Danny and Davis are heading out to station one. Danny gets on the radio. 

"Come on, Gaylen. You out there?", he asks. 

"I got a lot of units headed out to station one.", he says. 

Davis points to something. "What is that? A roll bar?", he asks.

Danny looks over at Davis. "You reinforce this thing?", Davis asks. Danny hesitates to answer.

He sighs. "The first time i met Gaylen was 23 years ago...", Danny starts. Meanwhile, Gaylen is carrying the brown sack with the shovel back to the house.  
"On the worst nights of her life.", he continues. "Her son Kenny and his Date, Darla Cleeway, disappeared on the way to the prom.

All they found was a red pickup and no bodies.   
When Gaylen finally believed what happened to kenny, she asked if she could join the team.", Danny explains. 

Gaylen sets the sack on a table in the back garden. 

Davis and Danny still driving down the highway. Danny pauses for a moment.

"That was the beginning for me. Like last night was the beginning for you.", Danny says. 

Davis turns and looks at him. 

Gaylen sets the sack down and stabs the shovel into the ground. 

She goes to the sack and starts unwrapping whatever is inside.  
She does it slowly. As she does so, she sees what looks like fingers sticking up.   
She unwraps it to see that's exactly what it is.  
Its a hand. She moves her hand over to touch it and it moves. Gaylen gasps seeing it move.

They hand starts to move more freely, as if its still alive. From the barn, Gaylen can hear Rocket become distressed.

It soon feels like everything has stopped moving.

Gaylen looks around and has noticed that everything has stopped but the wind is still blowing.

She then pulls off one of the gloves. She reaches out to touch it. It latches onto her hand and intertwines it's figers with hers. 

Rocket starts acting out in a frightened manner. 

The severed hand begins to lift up into the sky. 

Gaylen tries to break free from its grasp but she cant.

She screams. The hand lifts her up off the ground. Gaylen then becomes silent. Its as if she was being hypnotized.

Her eyes roll into the back of her head. It looks like shes having seizure. Her body shaking and her eyes are a solid white as if her eyes have rolled.

Meanwhile, Addison and Buddy got to Bernardi's and as they pull up, several horses are running rampant.

Buddy stops the truck. Both kids watch in disbelief of what they just saw.   
"That looks like Wildfire. Thats a $200,000 horse.", Buddy says.   
"Yeah, and that looks like Nightmare with her.", Addison says.

"What are they doing out?", Addison asks. "I dont know.", Buddy says. They continue to pull up to Bernardi's. 

Upon arrival, they see one car with its hood open. They look around and dont see anyone. 

"Where is everybody?", Buddy asks. They continue to scan the area for somebody. Anybody.

Buddy get out of the truck to get a better look around. He leaves the truck door open.  
Addison remains inside. Buddy walks up the gravel. "Buddy.", a voice whispers, causing Buddy to stop walking.

"Buddy.", another whisper is heard. Buddy looks around for where the whispers are coming from.

Thats when he spots someone inder thay car they saw coming in. 

Buddy kneels down to the ground. "Go tell the sheriff to get up here, and fast.", the man under the car tells Buddy. 

"Tell him to bring everything hes got.", he says. The man is shaken up.

He scans what he can see. "Get out of here, and keep your eyes on the sky.", he whispers.

Buddy looks up to the sky. "Do it!", the man whispers. Buddy runs back to the truck.   
Addison looks back and sees several others hiding under a large propane tank on 4 wheels.

They are clearly shaken up and frozen with fear. Buddy jumps into the truck and slams his door. 

"Lock your door.", he instructs Addison. "Whats going on?", Addison asks. "I dont know.", buddy says. 

"Theres men under that trailer.", Addison points out. 

Buddy whips his head back to look. "Roll your window up.", He instructs her. "Whats happening?", she asks. 

Buddy turns the keys in the ignition but the truck doesnt start. Buddy tries to get it to start but it wont go.

"Come on!", he hisses. Both are scared. Then, a phone starts to ring. Mr. Bernardi's phone starts to ring.  
He frantically pulls it out of his pocket and answers it. "Stop making noise!", he warns.  
"Who's that with you?", Bernardi asks. "Addison Brandon.", Buddy says. "Whats going on?", Buddy asks.

"I got guns in the barn.", Bernardi says. "Guns?", Buddy repeats back. "For what?", he asks. 

"Do you think you could make a run for it?", Bernardi asks. "Id do it myself if it weren't for this leg and this god damn cane.", Bernardi says.

"What about those guys under the truck?", Buddy asks. 

"They wont move. They think they know this thing. They got a name for it.", Bernardi says.

"Mr. Bernardi, what... who are you hiding from?", Buddy asks.  
"I dont know. Ive seen them and i still dont know.", Bernardi says.  
"Something came down and got Babaloo.", Bernardi adds.

"Came down?", Buddy asks.

Addison turns and gives Buddy a weird look.

"Spooked the horses so bad they jumped both the fences.", Bernardi pauses.  
"They tried to come down and get me too.", He continues. 

"What did?", Buddy asks. 

Bernardi hesitates to answer. "Let me tell you, i put up a fight.", Bernardi continues, completely disregarding the question.

"What are we talking about?", Buddy asks. "I dropped them out there somewhere...", Bernardi says but is cut off.

A man slams against the window of the truck, scaring both Buddy and Addison. 

Blood gets on Addison's window. She scoots over to Buddy. 

They man slides down the side of the truck. Addison moves to look but Buddy holds her back.   
Shadows fly over head. Buddy scoots forward to and looks up to the sky. Addison does the same.

Buddy has the phone to his ear. Bernardi drops the phone to the ground. 

Behind them, something drops down. Large wings and in all dark clothing. 

The sound of creaking metal can be heard. They both turn to the passenger side window. 

The tank that was previously behind them is flipping over like something big threw it.

They both turn around. Two figures. Both hold one man each. They hold them up by their throats.  
They smell them but their arent to their liking. They drop them to the ground and they run away.

They look at Buddy's truck. The teo kids duct down, hoping to not be seen. After a moment or so, they look back up.

They look out the back window and see nothing. Both Alex and the creature can smell something so good and so irresistible. 

The smell onlg got stronger when Addison and Buddy pulled up. Buddy tries to get the truck started again.  
As he tries to get it started, the creature lands by Buddy's window. Buddy jumps away from his window.

He takes a deep breath in. He tries to take in their fear.

His eyes snap open. He looks at Buddy. Then he tilts his head to look behind Buddy. 

He looks at Addison. The creature grins. He has smelt the same scent before. He reconizes it. 

The creature remains on Buddy's side. Thats when Alex drops in on the other side.

Addison screams. They now jump to Buddy's side. 

Alex takes his index finger and presses it against the bloody window. He makes a clearing of blood.  
He looks through the clearing at Addison. He presses his nose against the window.   
His nose begins to flare open and close. Hes smelling her too. Both now have their eyes set on Addison. 

Alex roars, causing the glass to crack. He then strikes the window, shattering it to pieces. 

Addison and Buddy try to protect themselves from the glass flying in.

Alex uses his wings to help push the truck over on its side. The creature moves out of the may just in time.

Alex reaches in and grabs Addison. Both creatures fly upswards before anyone could even blink an eye.

Buddy's back is pressed up against the driver's window. 

He didnt even see them take Addison until he was aware of everything again.

Bernardi watches as they take her away. 

Buddy looks up and tries to get himself up out of the truck. Like that, she was gone....


	28. -27-

Meanwhile, Danny and Davis pull up to Gaylen's house. Davis and Danny get out of the car.   
"Gaylen!", Danny yells. "Gaylen Brandon!", Danny continues to call for her.  
Danny and Davis walk around the back of the house. "Hello, Gaylen.", Danny says. 

Gaylen stands up from a chair on the porch. Shes wrapping her hand in some kind of gause or tape. 

Danny and Davis see her. 

"Mrs. Brandon?", Davis says. She continues to wrap her hand. 

"Gaylen?", Danny says. Danny comes back around to the front porch. 

"Ive been calling you.", Danny says. Gaylen doesnt say a word. She walks to the other end of the porch.  
"What the hell is the matter?", Danny asks. Both Danny and Davis show grave comcern for Gaylen. 

"Hes here.", Gaylen says. "Is that what you came here to say?", Gaylen asks.

Davis and Danny look at one another and then back to Gaylen. "'Cause if not, he will be.", She continues.

She turns to the two men. Shes rubbing her hand. 

They see her hand. She missed a spot to wrap. Its red and purple. Looks like she got burned.  
Danny takes a few steps closer to her. He tries to see what happened to her hand. 

"What happened?", Danny asks. 

"Just tell me one thing.", She says. She looks over at Danny and Davis.   
"Did you bring something that can kill it?", she asks. She then leads them back to the table with the severed hand.

The hand still sitting on the table. "He found it 23 years ago.", she says. 

"Kenny.", she says. She stops and turns to them. "The night before he died.", she says. 

*23 years prior*

Kenny jumps out of his car. He looks up at the night sky. 

The hand had fallen from the sky after a blood machete came down and impaled Kenny's hood. 

"It fell from the sky.", Gaylen says. Kenny reached into the car to grab a flashlight.   
He goes and finds the severed hand. Its still moving.   
"He didnt tell me he took it home or that he hid it i the hay store.", Gaylen continues.

Gaylen comes running to the barn in a nightgown and a jacket. A gun in her hands. She heard the horses whining. 

The barn doors burst open and 2 horses comes running out of it. 

"The horses wouldnt stay in the barn with it.", she says. 

She watches as the horse ran away from the barn. Kenny coles running, struggling to get a shirt on. 

"Mom, get the horses.", Kenny says, snatching the gun from Gaylen but she keeps ahold of the gun.  
They fight over the gun but Kenny snatched it up. Gaylen stumbling back as he does so. 

"He wouldnt say what was happening."

She watches him run into the barn with the gun. He turns back to her. "Mom, just get the horses!", he shouts. 

He turns back and runs into the barn. He comes back out with a sack and a shovel. 

He marches up to the hill. 

"He must've touched that thing, and that was why he was so angry and frightened."

He tosses the sack on the ground along with the shovel. He takes the gun and aims it at the sack. 

He shot the hand 4 or so times. 

"He wanted to kill it, whatever it was. Maybe he thought he did."

He begins diggingand buries the sack. 

*present day*

Gaylen walks towards the table. Danny and Davis close behind her.   
"I trapped it.", Gaylen says. The hand is o longer on the table. It lies under a flower pot.

"Its under there.", she says. Both Danny and Davis look with caution. Danny looks at the other two and they look back at him.

Davis goes around the table to the pot. He taps the pot with his shoes. "Be careful!", Gaylen urges. 

Davis looks at her like shes crazy. 

"Of you touch that thing, if you put your hand on it...", she pauses and looks at the pot.   
"You see.", She says. Danny looks at her and takes off his hat.   
"You see...", she pauses again. "How it came to be.", she says. Danny tilts his head.

Davis puts his hand on the pot and he crouches down. 

"And what it is.", Gaylen adds. Davis picks up the pot. He starts to lift it when something touches his hand. 

He screams is fear. He jumps back. Danny just looks at him. Davis looks back at him.

Meanwhile back at Hooks, Jessie continues to shuffle hay. The sound of tires squealing has he pausing from his work.

His facial expression changed into a more horrified look.

He runs and climbs up onto the hay. A loud crash is then heard. He pauses before jumping on the last stack.   
Smoke suddenly appears. Jessie jumps back down and rushes to where the crash happened.

He sees Buddy in the truck. "Buddy?", He calls out to him. Buddy isn't responding. 

He remains frozen, hands on the wheel. Face dirty. Passenger door missing.   
Cal comes running out with a few people right behind him.   
"Bud?", he calls for buddy and runs to the truck.

At the same time, the creature is heading down the highway. Hes listening to the radio and starts changing it.

In the back, he has Addison and Kirk wrapped in dirty sheets with rope. 

One of them sits up behind the driver seat. The creature stops and parks. He opens his door and gets out.   
After the door is closed, one of the other sits up. "Stay down.", Kirk whispers.  
A moment of silence passes. The sound of the back doors opening makes both of them lay back down. 

The creature immediately goes for a tool box in the back. He pulls out a ninja blade made of bones and skin. 

Once he grabs that, he shuts the back door again. He then takes off once again. 

This whole time, Alex is with him, hunting with him. Gaining his trust.  
Becoming exactly like one another. Both fly away to continue hunting.

"Quick, can you see anything?", Kirk says. "What?", Addison asks. "Theres knives and stuff on both sides.   
Can you reach one and i cut your ropes?", Kirk says. Addison looks around. "I tried, but its hard for me to move.", Kirk says.   
Addison moves up against the wall of the truck. She heard and feels metal. She tries to use a big blade on the walls to cut her rope.

While all of this is happening, Davis and Danny are still at Gaylen's house. What she had told them sends Davis into a rage.

He walks towards the car and then turns to Danny.

"You think her dead kid came over the hill this morning to tell her to vacate the premises?", he hollers at Danny.

He points up at the hill as hes yelling. "What if shes right?", Danny yells back.   
"What if she can learn that thing's secrets just by touching that piece of its own flesh.", Danny yells.  
Davis starts pointing at him again, getting ready to say something. 

"Youre going to go over there and hold hands with it, aren't you? Just like she did.", Davis says. 

"What do you think this is if it isnt a war? One that absolutely wont stop until those damn things dont exist anymore.", Danny hisses.

Danny becomes scared. Davis is trying to process it all still. 

"Those things get away again, im either going to be dead or too damn old next time.", Danny says.   
Both begin to think of what to do next. Both want the creature gone but it also puts Alex at risk as well.   
Once they find out how to kill it, they will try to use the same method on Alex. 

"What if the secret to what these things are is the secret of how to kill them?", Davis asks. 

Davis begins thinking that maybe using this severed hand is their key of getting rid of it. 

He starts to actually consider what Danny is saying. Off in the distance, the sound of more cars are coming their way. 

Danny turns in the direction of the noise and Davis turns around to see. 

Pulling up the driveway are 2 police cars and Michael in his truck....


	29. -28-

Simultaneously, back in the creatures truck, Addison manages to uncover her head from the sheet.   
Hair gets in her face. She reaches up and brushes it out of her face. "Hurry.", Kirk says.   
Addison finishes removing the rope and sheet. "Sometimes he comes back fast.", Kirk says.

"Its usually with another body and you dont want to be here for that.", he continues.

She goes over to Kirk and helps him get untied. 

Unaware of each other, it comes to a suprise to both that they both ended up in the truck.

Addison is horrified to see Kirk. "Kirk?", she says. "No fuckin way, Addy.", Kirk says. "Oh my god...", she says. 

Both hug each other for a moment. Kirk lets out a hiss in pain.   
"My leg. I cant walk on it, but i can drive myself just get, get me out of this.", he says. 

Addison brushes her hair behind her ears. She continues to help Kirk out of the sheets. 

"I checked.", Kirk says. They look at all the bodies lying inside with them. "They're dead.", Kirk says. 

"They think im dead too, and probably you.", Kirk continues.

"Why arent we?", Addison says, concerned but thankful shes still alive.  
"I was passed out when they wrapped me and through me in here.   
From what i could tell, i think they were in too big of a hurry to care if we are or not.", Kirk says.

"Yeah, well lets get out of here.", Addison says. She gets up to out the back doors but Kirk stops her.

"No!", he yells as he reaches for her. Addison turns back to him. "Only they can open those.", Kirk says. 

"You try, itll split you in 2. This whole fucking truck is a death trap.", Kirk says. 

They begin searching for another way out. "Maybe the front.", Kirk says as he looks up front. 

He starts crawling to the front of the truck. Addison goes back to Kirk.   
"Try the driver's door.", Kirk says. Addison moves to the front of the truck. 

"What do you see?", Kirk asks.

"It just looks like a door handle.", Addison says. 

"Theres a chain, should i try that?", Addison asks.

"Try what?", Kirk asks. Addison reaches for the chain she sees hanging.  
"I dunno, maybe it does something.", She says. She touches it and immediately the horn begins blaring.  
The horn startles both her and Kirk. Kirk grabs his leg and hisses in pain. 

Both are back on the floor. "I think maybe the horn.", She says. 

"Try the door handle.", Kirk says. Kirk crawls up between the front seats. Addison gets back up to her feet.

"Say a little prayer that one of these doors open.", Kirk says.

Both are unaware of the odd placement of traps. In between the front seats are holes. 

One on the right side of the drivers seat and one on the left side of the drivers seat. 

Kirk reaches up only for a spear to penatrate his head. The spear goes all the way through to the passenger seat.

Addison falls back and screams. She stares in horror and shock. Kirks body twitches. 

Addison begins to cry once more. She holds her knees up to her chest. Shes all alone once more.

Back at Gaylen's house, all of the police men and leaders are surrounding the table the severed hand was once sitting.  
Gaylen removes the sack it was in and other tools. She clears the way for the men to set the vase with the hand in it.  
The men clear a path so some other men can tip the vase over and dump the severed hand onto the table.   
They struggle to get the hand out but manage. Once the hand hits the table, they jump back a few inches. 

They all stare at it, not sure what to think, say, or do.

They all gather back at the table once more. Examining it further. 

"Get behind him.", Gaylen says. Davis as well as the other men give her a odd look. 

Even Danny tilts his head at her. "Get. Behind him.", She repeats.

They do as she orders. They all get behind him and wait for her next orders. 

"Put your hands on him.", she says next. They do as she says and they put their hands on him.   
Davis leaves Gaylen's side and begins walking away. They all watch him walking but then he stops.  
Danny prepares himself for what hes about to experience. He raises his hand and connects to the severed hand.

It locks onto Danny. The same thing begins happening to Danny like it did with Gaylen. 

"Danny.", Gaylen calls to him. Danny looks at her. "I know where you're going.", she says. 

Davis turns to look at Gaylen. A moment of silence passes. "You will come back.", She says and in that moment, danny screams.

They hand lifts up towards the sky. Davis comes running back. "Danny!", he yells. 

"No!", Gaylen yells. 

Danny falls backwards. "Danny!", One man yells. "Look at me boss!", Mickey yells. 

Danny's eyes roll to the back of his head. Its showing him the same thing it showed Gaylen. 

They same exact thing is happening to him like it did to Gaylen. All the men around him call for him but nothing. 

Meanwhile, Addison is still in the back of the truck, taking a spear and hitting the back doors. 

The sound of something flapping is heard. She quickly puts the spear back. She drops to the ground and covers herself with a sheet.   
She covers herself just in time for the back door to open. Both Alex and the creature see Kirk.   
The creature has a dead body in his hand. He drops the body and crawls inside the back.

Alex stays where hes at right ouside the back doors. 

The creature kicks Kirk to make sure hes dead. 

Alex can sense that Addison is still ive. He can hear her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

The creature presses a button to release the spear out of Kirk's head. 

He takes kirk by the leg and pulls him backwards. He gets on top of Kirk and sniffs him. 

He takes a hand made knife off the wall and slashes Kirk to just make sure hes dead 100%.

Back at Gaylen's, the men continue to get Danny's attention. Danny is now sitting at the table.  
His face buried in his hands. Davis continues to call for him. Danny opens up his mouth.   
"Danny, Look at me.", Davis says. Danny opens his eyes and looks at Davis. 

One of them grabs a shovel, picks the hand up, and sets it on the table. 

"Im next.", a man says. "Boss?", they say. Danny closes his eyes again. 

"Are you out of your god damn mind?", Davis says, taking the shovel from him.

"With all due respect, Sargent, you stand down.", Mickey says. "You dont tell me to stand down.", Davis hisses. 

"You dont know!", Mickey yells.

"Not like us.", Mickey adds. Davis looks at Mickey. He looks to the group of guys and then back to Mickey.  
"You got no takeaway in this.", Mickey says. Mickey looks at the group and then back to Davis. 

Davis does one last scan of the group. "Alright.", Davis says. He taps on Mickey's shoulder. "Alright".

Davis takes the shovel and attempts to destroy the severed hand. He hits it but nothing. 

Mickey wraps his arms around Davis to stop him. Then the rest of the group grabs him to stop him.   
Davis has become so angry with all the bullshit that he thought he could just end it by destroying the hand.

"Anybody out there read me?", a voice says on the radio. Sounds like its coming from Mickey's truck.  
Davis yells for everyone to get off him. The group of men run to the radio in Mickey's truck.

Davis throws the shovel. The men rush now. "Repeat, this is deputy Michael.", the voice continues.

"Any team members out there at all copy me? Repeat! Deputy Mike McGrail.", the voice says again. 

Mickey gets to the truck and picks up the radio. Gaylen also comes running with the men.

"Go!", Mickey says. "I got a flipped vehicle in a field off Kearney Road, and i mean upside-down and still smoking.", the radio says.   
"They are headed to the Nine.", Gaylen says. "Who is this? Is that the Sheriff?", a voice says on the radio.  
"This is team leader Miller. We copy abs are putting rubber on the road.", Mickey says.

He drops the walkie. "Maybe 15 minutes away.", Gaylen says. Mickey gets in the back of his truck.

"No lights, no sirens.", Danny says, walking towards them, Davis right behind him. 

"If these things hit the Nine, we're going to take them by surprise.", Danny says.

"You and Brady, you come in from the east.", Danny gives one part of the group orders.

He goes to Mickey. "Miller, you and Jenkins see if you can find a road that gets you in front of it.", Danny says.   
Mickey gets in his seat with the canon. Danny goes to Mickey's truck. "The point is to stay alive.", Danny says.

Mickey stops and looks at Danny. 

"Its what your old man would've wanted.", Danny says. 

Mickey bangs on the canon and the truck starts moving. Danny turns back to Gaylen.

"You find Addy and the 2 of you get the hell out of here and dont come back until i tell you different.", Danny orders.

Danny starts walking to his vehicle. "So, youre just okay now?", Davis asks. 

"I just saw you rolling around on the ground like your were having a brain scramble.", Davis says, pointing back to where they all were just at. 

Danny starts up the car. "I can drive, Danny.", Davis says, walking back to the vehicle. 

Gaylen remains where she stands. She watches as everyone leaves. Davis tells at Danny to move and let him drive.

Gaylen now just waits for Addison to come back...


	30. -29-

"I got no idea!", Cal says over the phone. Buddy behind him, leaning again the wall.   
"Sheriff's up in Kissell, says they cant even get a man down here.", Cal says. He turns to Buddy.   
"Bud is really scaring me.", he says. Buddy stares at a wall. Cal continues to look at him.

"Hes in some kind of shock or something and hes not snapping out of it.   
Im getting ready to run him-", Call says but hears Buddy finally speak.

"I let her go...", Buddy says. Cal takes the phone from his ear. Cal rushes over to Buddy. 

He hangs up the phone. "I let her go.", Buddy says again. Cal comes right in front of Buddy. 

"I couldnt hold on, Dad.", Buddy mumbles out.  
Cal doesnt say anything and lets Buddy talk.

"I let her go and now shes out there with those things somewhere!", Buddy hisses. 

Buddy springs up but Cal puts his hands on his shoulders and lowers him back down. "Now just... sit.", Cal says.   
"I left her out there!", Buddy yells, springing back up again.   
Cal tries to keep his sitting. "Sit down.", he says. 

"I left her, Dad!", Buddy yells again. Hes fighting against Cal. "Sit down and stop, stop talking!", Cal hisses.

Cal gets him to sit and shut up. He backs up. He gets back on the phone. 

"Alll i know is that the truck looks like its been rolled.its missing a god damn...", Cal says. He looks back over and Buddy is gone.

He hears the truck starting up again. "Jesus christ!", He yells and runs out the office. 

Jessie is working on the truck. He turns around and sees Buddy taking off in another truck. Cal comes running and chasing after Buddy. 

He calls out for him but nothing stops him from driving off in search for Addison. 

On the same highway, Danny and Davis are chasing after it.

Davis stares at Danny. Danny could feel it and thought he might as well give an explanation.

"Its not about what i saw.", he starts. 

He pauses for a moment. "If i knew what that was", he pauses again. "Its just how much bigger it is. How much older", Danny says.   
Danny turns to Davis. "Its ancient. Both of them.", Danny says. Danny looks forward again.  
Davis's breathing picks up. His heart beating against his chest. Mickey is on the same highway. 

Hes using binoculars to see the truck. Him and Jenkins are gonna come from the front. 

"Talk to me Jenkins, Please.", Mickey says.

"Nothing! God damn nothing!", Jenkins says.

The license plate on Mickey's truck is a mimic to the creature's truck. 

BKLLNGU compared to BEATINGU. Mickey made it to imitate the creature's truck.

Danny and Davis continue to come from behind the truck. Thats when they finally find it. 

Only a few yards up ahead of them. They start gaining on the truck.   
What they weren't expecting was for one driving the truck and then another one on top.  
Alex is on top. He looks back at Davis. "Holy Mary, mother of God.", he says.

Alex looks right at Danny. Danny makes eye contact with him. He found him. 

"You son of a bitch.", Danny says. 

"Be straight with me. Can we kill these things?", Davis asks. 

Dannyreaches for the gun in between them. "You still a sharpshooter?", Danny asks.  
Davis looks back at him. Then to the gun and then back to Danny. A small smirk spreads across his face.  
"You bet your sweet ass i am.", Davis says, taking the gun. "Hang on!", Danny says, gaining more on the truck.

Davis leans out his window. "Get me up closer to that son of a bitch!", Davis hisses.

"Take his tires out.", Danny says. Davis aims at the tires. He shoots only for it to ricochet back and nearly hit Davis. 

The horn blares. Inside the truck, Addison sits up. She looks forward. 

"Hit him again.", Danny says. Davis cocks the gun and aims once more.   
He fires but the bullet once again ricochets back at the vehicle.

"What the hell are they made of?", Davis hisses. He goes back to aiming. 

"Again!", Danny yells. Davis shoots and hits the back doors and it firs back at them. 

"Son of a bitch!", Davis yells. He cocks the gun once more.

Inside, Addison hears metal clanking. Next thing they know, a small metal sphere drops.

"Hold on!", Danny yells. "Jesus!", Davis says. Danny swerves the vehicle out of the way of this mysterious sphere.  
Davis watches it in rear view mirror. It goes down the road a ways, turns around and starts chasing them.  
"What the hell!", Davis yells. He them aims the gun at the sphere chasing them. Davis shoots it and it explodes.

They stare in disbelief. Bombs. This fucking truck is dropping bombs now. 

Up ahead, Mickey is heading directly for them. Danny and Davis look and see the truck. Mickey sitting in the back. 

"Mickey?", Danny says. Mickey looks at the truck coming right towards them. He sees Alex on top. 

Jenkins also stares in disbelief. "Oh, come here you big ugly bastard.", Mickey says.  
Alex knew had the think and think fast. He jumps on the front of the truck. He looks into the windshield.   
He begins trying the bash the window in. Davis and Danny only see Alex Disappear. 

"Oh my sweet-"

"Christ!", Danny yells, cutting Davis off. "Everything ricochets off that truck!", Danny hisses. 

Danny gets on the radio. "Mickey, Come in!", Danny says. "Mickey, listen to me.

That truck is not to be fired on!", Danny says. 

"Straight at it, Jenky! Go!", Mickey says. Mickey sees Alex doing what hes doing to the window. 

"2 birds. One stone.", Mickey says to himself. The truck blares its horn. Alex still trying to bust the window. 

He manages to start cracking it. The truck heading straight towards Mickey. 

"Mickey! Come in!", Danny says. "Michael, dont shoot at the god damn truck!", Danny yells.  
Danny tries to get Mickey to not shoot but nothing is getting through. Jenkins hears the radio but ignores Danny's pleas.  
Mickey gets the canon loaded and aims. He pulls the lever back. Danny makes his last pleas to Mickey's radio. 

"For my old man and a thousand others you ugly mother fucker!", Michael says to himself and begins shooting.

Bullets fly. Some hit the truck, others hit the pavement, and some hit Alex on the front of the truck. 

The ones that hit the truck ricochet back. So many hit Alex that his grip becomes weak on the front of the truck.

The bullets ricochet back kill both Mickey and Jenkins. Filling their truck with the ricocheted bullets. 

Danny and Davis watch in horror as Mickey and Jenkins get filled with bullets. Just before the 2 trucks pass one another, the creature swerves the truck.

Him doing so makes Alex fly off, landing in front of Mickey's truck.   
Then, the creature drops a bomb, exploding Mickey's truck and Alex with the truck.   
Danny and Davis drive through the smoke, still right behind the truck.

It drops another bomb. "Hold on!", Danny says. 

Danny stops so Davis can shoot but it explodes, sending the vehicle into the field next to them. 

The vehicle rolls a few times. Its badly damaged and smoking. Both Danny and Davis temporarily lose consciousness...


	31. -30-

Davis starts moving. He pulls himself up from being lower in his seat. 

He groans in pain, trying to get himself up.

He looks out the front windshield. He then looks at Danny, still unconscious. 

He shakes Danny to get him to wake up. "Danny?", Davis says. 

Davis looks out his now broken window. He sees Mickey's truck with a big dent in the front where it hit Alex.

Davis turns his attention back to the front of him. Out the shattered fron window, he sees the truck.  
The truck pulls into the field. Davis then begins hitting Danny, trying to wake him up once more.

"Danny. Danny!", he yells. Davis gets out of the car as Danny is finnaly starting to wake up. 

Davis struggles with the door. He slams his body against the door. 

After a few tries, he falls out the car onto the door thats now unhinged. 

Danny watches as Davis hits the ground. Davis gets back up and goes to say something to Danny.  
But the horns from the truck start blaring. Both Danny and Davis look forward at the truck.   
"Take this!", Danny says, handing Davis another gun. Danny gets out on the passenger side. 

"Cover me.", Danny says. Davis is staring intensely at the truck. "Davis!", Danny says. 

Thr truck door opens. The creature looks at them as he stands out of his seat. 

"Get down!", Danny says. Davis does as he says and gets down.

Davis aims the shotgun. 

"Dont give him what he wants.", Danny says. The creature jumps down from his truck.

He holds onto his door. "Swallow your fear. Dont give it to him.", Danny says.

The creature slams hlits door. At that moment, Alex has walked onto the fiel, head straight for the 2 groups. 

"You beat cover me as best you can, and then haul your ass out of here.  
It cant get both of us if we split up.", Danny says, unaware that Alex is still alive and coming right for them.

"Split up?", Davis asks. No response. "We both gotta take him, Danny!", Davis says. 

Still no response. "We meed the firepower!", Davis says, looking back to Danny but Danny is gone. 

Alex comes from behind the creature. He looks at him. "Let me do it.", Alex tells the creature. The creature growls. 

He puts his battle axe away. He sits back and watches.  
Alex pulls out his chained syphes. Alex begins making his way straight for Davis.   
Davis shoots but Alex brings his syphe tip up and the bullet ricochets off of it. 

Davis gets up off the ground. Alex begins swinging his syphes. He does little tricks with them.

He crosses them and then swings them in circular motions. 

Davis cocks the gun and aims. He shoots but barely misses Alex's head.

The bullet only grazed his head. Alex stops for a moment. He feels where the bullet grazed him. 

This only angers him. He turns back to Davis. He clenches his jaw.

His speed is now quicker going towards Davis. Alex thought that Davis was now set to just kill him.

But its not what he was originally doing. Davis aims again. "Alex! Stop!", Davis warns.

He growls. He pulls out a ninja star made of steel. Pulls it out and throws it.   
Davis shoots but the ninja start its the barrel of the shot gun.   
With the star hitting the gun, it sends Davis flying backwards. 

Davis gets back up wnd grabs the gun. 

He then examines the gun and sees the star jammed inside the barrel.

Alex comes right for him swinging his syphe like fan blades. 

Davis pulls out a pistol instead. He aims it at Alex. "Alex! This is your last warning.", Davis says.   
"I aint got nothing left to lose, Tubbs. I tried to help but you keep getting in my way!", Alex hisses.

Alex holds his syphe out, ready for Davis to shoot.

"Hey!", Danny yells. Alex keeps going for Davis. "Hey you!", Danny yells. Alex stops.

He turns to Danny. Him and Danny make direct eye contact. Alex sniffs the air. 

He growls. "Davis! Get the hell out of here!", Danny yells.   
Danny gets in the back of Mickey's truck. Get gets to the canon. "Move!", he yells.   
Danny tries to get the canon unjammed. Alex changes his target. 

He begins heading straight for Danny. 

Alex gets a running start with his syphes in front of him. 

Danny tries to get the canon to turn but its jammed. Alex is fully sprinting right for him.  
Alex draws his syphe back. Danny screams at him as he tries to unjam the canon.   
Alex roars back at him. Alex then takes flight.

His wings spread out as he comes towards Danny. 

Danny looks up and sees Alex with his syphes and wings coming straight for him. 

Davis watches in horror. Alex is getting closer. 

With one finally tug, Danny gets the canon unjammed. He immediately starts firing at Alex.

As he shoots, the only thing coming out of him is dust. In a normal human body, blood would be spraying out.

Only a fountain of dust comes flying out. 

The bullets dont stop Alex. He comes down and tackles Danny to the ground.   
Davis waits to see if Danny gets back up or if Alex gets back up.   
Black dust comes falling down like ashes. Davis raises his gun. He watches as Alex gets up but so does Danny. 

Alex and Danny stand up and comes face to face. Alex grabs Danny by his throat. 

He lifts him off the ground. He grabs the front of Danny's shirt. He rips it off, leaving Danny's torso exposed.

He takes the skin of Danny's chest, twists it, and yanks it off.

He rips the skin right off his torso. He the shoves one hand in his chest.  
He holds him by his chest as he inserts the other hand in his chest.   
He pulls his hands apart, splitting Danny in two. Its so bloody and gorey that Davis starts puking.

After he pukes, he begins to cry, losing one of his good friends. 

Alex looks back at the creature. Alex nods. The creature gets back in his truck. Both take off out of there. 

Davis takes off into the field, getting away from the grizzly sight before him. The two creatures take off.

One in truck and one by flight. Alex has to come up with another way to get addison out of the grasps of this creature.

On his flight, he finds ways to get Addison but cant make a move until he does which maybe later into the night...


	32. -31-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last part for this movie. Jeepers creepers #2 is next up.

Gaylen is up on the hill once more. Shes hammering something to the ground.   
She hammers until she sees Kenny in her peripheral vision. She stops only momentarily but then continues hammering.  
She then waits in the barn. The barn door cracked open just far enough to see the hill.

She waits with a shot gun in hand. The horse suddenly makes a small noise, startling her.

The apparition of Kenny appears behind her. 

"Whatever you think you can do, you cant.", Kenny says. 

"Youre not going to stop me...", Gaylen pauses. "So go away.", she says.   
"They took her mom. They have Addy now.", Kenny says.   
Gaylen gets up from her chair to look at Kenny but hes gone. 

"What?", she asks. She rushes to the other side of the barn. Gun still in her hands. 

A light peers through. She kicks the barn door open. 

She cocks and aims the gun at the truck. She gets a better look at the truck. 

Its Buddy. 

He gets out of the truck and walks towards her. She lowers the gun. 

"Wheres Addy?", She asks. Both of their eyes well up with tears.  
Somewhere on the highway, Addison is still in the back of the truck. Shes sitting up.  
She was at least until she heard the familiar flapping of wings. 

She looks up to the roof and immediately starts covering herself with the sheet again. 

The creature opens the door. Alex right above on the roof of the truck. 

The creature scans the back of the truck and hops in the back. Alex's time has come. This is it. 

The creature looks back and forth. He tricks Addison into thinking hes walking past.

He gets on top of her and rips the sheets off of her. He growls as she screams.   
He grabs her by the collar and pulls her up to him. He starts sniffing her.   
His eyes grow wide. He grabs a knife from the walls.

Addison crawls towards the front seats. He gets back on top of her. They end up in between the front seats.

Addison uses this to her advantage. The spear immediately goes through the creatures head.

He roars is pain. 

He tries to get out of it. One of his eyes just drops out of the socket. 

Addison screams and crawls under him.

She gets out from underneath him. She sees the opportunity to escape with the back being opened.   
She gets up and runs right for the back. As she jumps out, she spikes get her shoes.   
The spikes retract. The spear is out of the creature's head. He gets back up. 

He chases right after her. He trips over one of the bodies coming out and lands face first into the ground.

Alex comes down and straight kicks him in the head. Addison gets up and starts running. 

Alex continues to kick the creature in the head.   
Once he knows Addison got enough space between them and her, he cnases after her.   
The creature gets back up and chases after her too. 

He tries to use his wings by jumping up but ends up face planting back into the ground once again.

His 2nd wing failed to spring out, causing only one to spring out and making him eat shit and face planting. 

Needless to say, Alex thought it was the funniest thing ever.   
The creature gets back up. He goes back to his truck. Alex pulls out his ninja star.   
He gains some speed and them throws the star towards her. 

Addison trips on a rock and falls. She raises her head just high enough to where the star grazes her hair. 

That only angered Alex. The creature grabs one of his long spears.

He tries to aim with they empty socket of an eye. Addison touches her head to make sure shes fine.  
She then rolls over onto her butt. She sees both creatures practically fighting over her. 

The creature realizes hes an idiot for trying to aim with his empty socket side. 

He flips the aim over to his good eye. He tries to get a good aim. 

Addison gets up and start running again. 

The creature realizes once again he cant aim on the other side so he goes back to his original side.  
He decides to take the shot in hopes of getting her. He throws it. Alex fastly gaining on her.   
Unlucky for Alex, he gets the spear right through the chest.

He roars in both pain and anger. Addison gets away. The creature heads there way.

He passes Alex, who is stuck to the fence. Addison gets to a road.   
The creature comes charging with his axe. He almost gets her when a semi truck comes and hits him.  
It sends him flying across the pavement. Addison continues to run and gets away. 

Alex gets himself free. He watches as Addison runs free. He growls but got the joins of watching the creature get hit by a truck. 

The truck driver gets out of his truck to investigate. He sees what it is and immediately calls 911. 

The driver is unaware that the creature is already getting back up. The driver turns around and its gone.   
He looks up above and scans all over the place for it while still on the phone.   
Before he knowd it, hes tackled to the ground. Alex takes off to Gaylen's home. She waits in the shadows. 

He knows it has a reason to be there. He only waits for it to come. 

Its not long before he does. He pulls up to the barn. He goes up to the hill. Thats when he sees it.

He sees a hole in the ground. He drops to his knees. Besides the hole, a large cardboard sign was made.  
Attached to it, was the severed hand. The cardboard had words painted on it. "We know what you are.", it reads.   
This both frightened and angered him. He pulls the nail thats hammered into it out. 

He throws it aside. He grabs the severed hand. He takes it and conpletely destroys it, turning it into dust. 

He tosses the dust down in anger. He looks up to the sky. He drops back to his knees. 

He roars. Suddenly, birds begin droping dead from the sky.   
As he continues to roar, webbed gills start to protrude from his head.   
He looks like a frilled lizard but more webbed and more aphibian-like. 

Alex watches and he too, had his webbed gills protuding from his head. 

Meanwhile, Addison is still walking near the road. She hears a vehicle.

She thinks its the truck. She dives into nearby tall grass to hide. The truck stops.  
She fears its them again. A figure comes walking and sees her. 

"Addy?", they say.

She looks up and sees Buddy. She quickly runs into his arms, hugging him tightly.

Buddy gets her back onto the road. Thats when she sees Gaylen. She runs and hugs her grandmother. 

Gaylen pulls Buddy into the hug as well. They get into the car and go home.

Over the next coming days, everyone tried to heal.  
Gracie and her mom let the rabbit back into the wild.   
Davis holds onto the hat Danny gave him.

Buddy pulls up to Addison's house. He quickly gets out of the truck and heads around the back of the house.

He sees Addison with Rocket. Addison sees Buddy. 

"What are you doing here?", she asks. He walks closer to her.   
"They are picking me up here. I didnt miss 'em, did i?", he says.   
"Theyre picking you up here?", Addison asks. "So i could say goodbye.", Buddy says.

"They dont care. Its on the way.", Buddy says. He caresses her cheek. 

"Really, are you doing okay?", Buddy asks. She looks down and nods. 

"Im out of the house. Out in the sunshine.", she says. 

"And back with your old boyfriend, huh?", Buddy jokes.   
Addison smiles. She turns and gives Rocket a kiss on the head. 

"They say hes gone, you know.", Buddy says.

They start walking back to the front of the house. She stops for a moment. 

"You really believe it?", she asks.

"Gone for another 23 years?", she adds. 

"Think we'll still be around here to find out?", Buddy asks.

No words were spoken but a kiss is shared between the two. 

Then a horn is heard being honked. They both run to the front of the house. 

"Im going to worry about you.", Addison says. "I can't believe they're letting you go.", she adds.

"For the last time we made it to state, i dont think the armageddon will keep us from going.", Buddy says. 

"Is that your dad talking?", Addison jokes. 

Buddy goes back to his truck. "Oh, i got family up in Bollander. I might stay an extra day.", Buddy says.

He grabs his varsity jacket and puts it on. "Im gonna miss you.", Addison says. 

"Well, ill miss you more, i bet.", Buddy says. He grabs his duffle bag. 

"Keep an eye on my truck for me.", Buddy says. He gives her one final kiss on the cheek.

The bus honks for him to hurry. He walks towards his bus. 

He steps on but stops on at the door. He turns back to her. He waves to her and she waves back. 

He gets on the bus and takes his seat. The bus door closes. She looks at him.

She looks at the bus at it leaves. She notices someone waving to her from the back. She looks closely. 

Two different eyes. Red and Blue. 

She freezes. The bus is already gone before she could do anything.

And with that, Buddy and them are off for their Basketball game...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, this is now 2/3 parts. Got one more to go. However, once i can comfirm if there is a #4 coming out, ill add onto the story once #4 comes out. This one by far took only a few days to write. 
> 
> Imma try and get started on this last movie. Im hoping we get a #4 movie. The last one to conclude it all. 
> 
> But we will see. Ill try to get started right away with the finally part.


	33. -32-

What Addison saw in the back of the bus, waving at her, was one of the creatures.  
Alex blended in with the kids on the bus. She only knew it was him because of his eyes and the fact he waved at her.  
It was too late. The bus was gone and Addison couldnt do anything about it. Alex decided to turn his target somewhere else.

He went to the basketball game with the others. No one suspects him nor questioned his presence. 

During the game, theres a new target that the creature is after. 

A cornfield in an evening breeze. A lone wooden cross pressed against the dusty sky.

A scarecrow is suddenly thrown against it. Sloppy looking. Overalls. Pillow sack head. Hat stitched on.  
Fourteen year old Billy Taggart stands on wooden steps at the foot of the post so he can reach this high.  
He takes a length of bailing wire and reaches around the straw man. He finds himself nose to nose with its a sewn on face.

"You get number three up and dont come in to eat until you do!", a voice calls from across the field.

The boy looks back. His dad, Jack Taggart, is a weathered looking forty, working the post puncher.

He slides a long wooden post with a pointed tip into the loader and then jumps back onto the seat of the fencing machine.  
With a loud bang, the wooden post is fired deep into the earth, by the small cannon of the puncher pointing directly into the ground.   
"And check the other two. Make sure they're wired up good, i don't want 'em blowing down again if theres a big wind.", Jack yells.

Billy stares across the field at two more scarecrows. Already on their crosses. 

A crown lands on the most distant. It caws mawkishly.

"Lot of good they're doing.", Billy says to himself. 

The boy turns to dad to protest, but Jack is hopping off the post puncher now. It has misfired.  
"You been messing with this post puncher?", Jack yells. "No!", Billy says.  
"I told you what'd happen if you screwed around with this thing.", Jack hisses.

Billy now struggling to secure the first scarecrow. "I said i didnt!", he yells back.

Jack throws a rag at the post puncher. He moves back towards their small farmhouse.

"Jacky!", Jack yells.

Billy's older brother Jack Jr. 17. He sticks his head out the kitchen door.

"You messin around with that goddamned post puncher again?", Jack hisses. "No!", Jacky says. Jack throws a look back to Billy.  
"Billy, you little asshole! Why don't you fink on yourself for a change!", Jacky yells.   
"Dont use that kind of mouth on your brother. What did i tell you?", Jack hisses at Jacky. 

Jack disappears inside the barn. Jacky glares at his little brother. He turns to go back into the kitchen.

Hes halted by Butch, their black Labrador retriever, growling in the direction of the cornfield.

"Go get him. Go bite him in the ass, Butchy-boy.", Jacky says. 

Jacky then disappears back inside the kitchen. Butch barks now, excitedly.   
He stares out into the corn where Billy grumbles to himself on his way to scarecrow number two.

"'Dont want 'em blowing down again'... Big wind my ass.", Billy says to himself. 

He can hear the dog barking in the distance. 

"Youre the only big wind out here.", Billy says to himself.

Billy arrives at the next scarecrow. He walks behind it and checks the bailing wire that holds it in place.

Down the line of scarecrows, at the very end. The last scarecrow only some yards away. 

It moves.

It turns its head to look at Billy, scattering the crows on its head and shoulders. 

Billy turns to look.

It looks away at the same instant. Billy wondering what he had just saw.   
Did the scarecrow move? Or has he just been out in the heat too long?  
Butch still at the outskirts of the corn rows. Hes yelping now. A clear warning to the boy.

The boy moves towards the last scarecrow. Butch's barks build in intensity, wanting to go after his master. 

He wants to run to him but wont. Hes too afraid. 

"Will you shut up?", Billy calls back at Butch. Billy glares out at his dog. 

He soon realizes something. He turns toward the last scarecrow, only a few yards or so away.

Are his eyes playing tricks on him?

This scarecrow isnt one of the sloppy ones he made himself. 

This one is wearing a strange hate and a thick, long coat...

Butch begins barking insanely again. This doesnt look like a scarecrow at all. 

Billy looks the scarecrow up and down. He looks to his feet and sees razor sharp claws.  
He freezes in fear at what hes seeing. The creature moves his claws.   
Billy turns and starts running towards the farm house. See it move and the fact it has claws frightens Billy.

He sprints through the corn. It slaps at him because of how fast hes running. 

The scarecrow blasts from the post it was resting on. He chases after Billy. 

Its not running, but its flying after him. A big dark shape rocketing over the stalks of corn. 

Before he can even think what kind of nightmare it must be, it comes crashijg towards Billy.

It takes Billy down with a flying tackle. 

The corn shakes violently where they hit the ground. Butch still barking insanely.   
Both Jacky and Jack hear the commotion and Billy's scream. Jack burst from the barn with a double barrel shotgun.  
Jacky scrambles out of the kitchen door in his bare feet. The corn still shaking violently. 

Jack runs into the field towards it. "Billy!?", Jack yells. Billy screams for help. 

Something is moving through the corn away from the 2 with incredible speed. 

Jack filled with fear as he runs faster. Butch follows with Jacky. 

"BILLY?!", Jack yells out for his son. Hearing Billy's screams makes Jack move faster. 

They are gaining on it. Something big is dragging something not so big. Drags them deeper into the field.

Both men and Butch in the trail of broken stalks now. They soon come and run over one of Billy's tennis shoes.

"Billy?!", Jack continues to scream for his son.

Something big breaks out of the corn ahead, startling both Jack and Jacky. It rockets out of the stalks into the night.  
It wears a scarecrow's ragged coat and from it. Great wings that rise and fall , blasting skyward. 

A horrid shape that clutches another. Its prey dangling from its talons. 

There can be no mistaking that its Billy being raced into the cloudy night sky.

Billy's screams fade as he gets higher into the sky. 

Jack stares completely transfixed. Shot gun leveled but unable to shoot. It might hit Billy. 

Butch barks wildly up at the horrible thing that is now a distant shape streaking past the cloudy moon.

As it disappears, there comes a sound so eerie and forlorn it could almost be the voice Jack's horror and sorrow.

A howling sound. The dog. It howls up at the moon. 

Both men stare up nullified at the moon that looks down on them...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final movie until the next one comes out. Hopefully itll be concluded and we get answers we have been dying to know like how to kill it.


	34. -33-

This entire time, Alex sat there on the benches as an extra player. He feels something is wrong.   
He excuses himself to the coaches. They let him go. Alex takes off to where the creature was.   
He sees Jack and Jacky. Both staring up into the sky. Alex knows he has claimed another victim.

He felt worse with this one because of how young Billy was. Alex turns and goes back to the game. 

He was so fast it was as if he just webt to the rest room. The games soon comes to an end. 

They all get on the bus. The while team is chanting a song.   
"Tough as nails! Hard as rocks! We are Bannon's fighting Cocks!  
Fighting Bantums. Tough as nails! Bow down now or kiss our tails!", they all chant.

Alex sits in the very back of the bus. Guilt overwhelms him. 

Climbing a rise into view on this remote country 2-lane is a big yellow school bus. 

Bannon county school district the legend on its side.

"Out of blood we're lean and mean! Bannon County's death machine!", they continue to chant.

A varsity basketball team singing their fight song on a long journey home from an away game.   
Buddy had stayed back in town with family. He wasnt on the bus with the others. 

A tired but happy crew of 20+ boys, their coaches and their cheerleaders. 

Head coach Charlie Hanna, capable looking man of color. He listens to them singing the Bannon County Bantums fight song. 

"Bannon Bantums, Bannon Bantums, gooooooooo Bantums!", they continue to sing. 

Boys on one side have a long cloth banner on their laps running the lenght of the bus.

"Bannon Bantums power and might! Bannon Bantum's! Fight! Fight! Fight!   
Bannon Bantums we're the word! You dont mess with the mighty bird.

Down the court we'll clean your clock. Better not mess with a fight cock!", They all continue.

At the back of the bus, across the aisle from Alex, theres a young man by the name of Scott Braddock. 

Brooding. Hes the only player, along with Alex, not singing. 

2 of the cheerleaders on the bus. Rhonda Truitt and Chelsea Farmer. Chelsea is a beautiful girl of color. 

Neither exactly enjoying the din.

"How long can they keep this up?", Rhonda asks. "Forever. They have a fight song with the word 'cock' in it.", Chelsea says.  
Both girls look over at Minxie Hayes, the 3rd cheerleader. Happily chanting along with the boys.  
"Suprised Minxie's not waving her pom poms.", Rhonda says. "She is.", Chelsea says. Both look mack at Minxie.

"How come youre not sitting with your honey?", Chelsea asks. 

Both girls then turn to look back at sullen Scott.

"Hes not singing.", Chelsea says. "I have a feeling he didnt get to play enough.", Rhonda says.

"Well, shouldnt you be sitting with him?", Chelsea asks. "After a game, he says he needs to be with the guys.", Rhonda says.

"You kill his post game buzz, huh?", Chelsea asks.

"Basically.", she says and looks back at Scott. "If they lose, its a totally different thing. Cant pry him off me.", Rhonda adds.  
They all see a car approaching. Betty Borman, the bus driver, lays on the horn and waves it ahead.

The car picks up speed. It travels alongside the bus. They read the banner that the boys hold up along the window. 

BANNON STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS

Betty lays on the horn in playful spurts. The only 2 boys on the bus who arent team members, Izzy Bohen, who isnt singing and Student Team Manager Andy "Bucky" Buck who is. 

Hake Spencer plops down in the seat behinds them and leans forward.

"Hey Izzy?", Jake calls out. "Hey Jake.", Izzy says, sounding uninterested with talking to Jake.

"You saw me, right? Run that full court dash, you see that?", Jake asks.   
"Yeah. I saw it.", Izzy says. "Anyone gonna read about it?", Jake asks.  
"Why you give old Dante back there so much ink, huh?", Jake asks. 

They look back at a handsome Dante Belasco at the back of the bus. A seat in front of Alex. 

"Im serious. People're starting to think youre sweet on him.", Jake says.

"Really? I heard that was you.", Izzy says. "Hey, its okay if you are, man. I mean, live and let love, right?", Jake says. 

"Sit down, Jake-", Bucky begins.

"Was i talking to you, jockstrap boy?", Jake asks. "Thats funny. I call it managing the team-"

"Call it whatever you want.", Jake says, cutting Bucky off.

"Jake-", Izzy starts. "Seriously, tell me.", Jake says. "Tell you what?", Izzy asks. "You know what.", Jake says.  
"This is all because i dont write enough about you?", Izzy asks. "Just say yes or no, man. Who the fuck cares?", Jake says. Alex hears it all.   
With the windows down, a familiar scent hits Alex's nose. Hes close by. "Well, i guess you do since you're spitting on my neck-"

"You know what they call you, dont you? 'Izzee'?", Jake cuts Izzy off. 

"Thats my name-"

"-or isnt he?", Jake says, cutting him off again. Izzy glares at Jake. Suddenly, the bus jolts. 

Kids everywhere jolt in their seats. Betty struggles to keep control of the big machine.

Alex saw it. He knew what caused this. A flat tire. Ripped rubber slapping the asphalt as the bus leans to the right. 

Betty wrestles the big yellow vehicle onto the shoulder of the road.   
Coach Hanna watches her move out from behind the wheel.   
"Everybody sit tight.", Coach Hanna says.

Both Betty and Hanna step down and move to the rear of the bus. Shredded rubber hangs off the outer right rear tire.

Betty squats to it. She spies something embedded deep in one of the rubber flaps. 

Its smooth and metallic. Its star shaped. One of the points of the star clearly what flattened the tire.

"Son-of-a-", Betty says but doesn't finish her sentence.

She pries it free. It has something very ornate and ancient looking about it. 

Neither like what they're thinking. Both look around. Just fields and fields. Where did this thing come from?

Scott and his cronies in the backseat: Jake, handsome Dante, and Jonny Young all staring out the rear window.   
Alex looks back and knows exactly ehat it is. Coach Hanna and Betty have a discussion they cant hear.   
But Alex can hear them. Alex tries to focus on what Betty and the couch are saying.

"You sucked so bad today, Double D. They're probably saying you gotta fix that flat.", Scott says.

Several seats ahead, Deaundre 'Doubld D' Davis. A handsome young man of color. 

He responds with a single finger. Double D's best buddy Kimball Ward takes his headphones off.   
"They're up to 167.", Kimball says. Bucky and Izzy turn back to them.

Double D puts his headphones back on. "That church up in Poho county where they found all those bodies?", he asks.

"Three days now and they think they're gonna get up past 200.", Kimball says.

"Thats some scary shit, yall. I heard they were all sewn together like some kind of blanket of the dead.", Double D says.

"My dad says some of the bodies they found? False teeth made out of wood.   
Means they're finding bodies down there that are two centuries old.", Izzy says.

"Im just glad its five big fat counties away from us.", Kimball says, trying to put his headphones back on.

"They cant just whip out the jack and pump this mother up?", Jonny says. 

"I can. In fact, i think i'd like to do that right now.", Dante says. 

He is staring towards the front of the bus at Cheerleader Minxie, who throws him a look.

Alex can sense something in Dante as he does so and simply doesnt like the way he looks at her.

"Id love to just whip it out and start pumping it up. Right now.", Dante says. 

"You're telling me Bouncing Betty cant just throw on a spare?", Jonny asks. 

"Ever been on a bus with a flat tire?", Jake asks. 

"The driver cant change it. They need a mechanic.", Jake adds. 

Chelsea leans across the aisle to Minxie.

"I cant believe this.", Chelsea says. "I dont either. Its like a dream come true.", Minxie says, still staring at Dante.

Rhonda nods until she realizes what Minxie just said.

"Its a six wheeler. That means theres a chance we can still limp home.", Betty says. 

"Long way to limp, isnt it?", Coach Hanna says. "They decide to send someone, still gonna be a while.", Betty says. 

Betty steps back onto the bus. The coach still staring at the strange metal object.

Did this flatten their tire?

He holds it up again. A large metal chip dissolves into the burning sun...


	35. -34-

Back on the Taggart Farm, Jacky has gone back out to examine where little brother disappeared.

A breeze bows the corn stalks around Jacky and Butch. 

In the long drag trail of broken stalks the teen, shotgun tucked under his arm, pushes husks around with the toe of his boot.

Then Butch whimpers at something. The dog sniffs at something hidden under the trampled leaves.

Jacky on hands and knees, stare down at something. 

Jack is sitting in the living room. He sits in an old overstuffed chair.   
Hes so frozen, he looks like a still life. He stares off into the shadows.   
Shades drawn. He has been there for hours, sitting in the dark. 

Butch's barks can be heard right outside. He barks wildly. Then Jacky burst through the kitchen door.

Jacky rushes into the living room. Hes halted by how dark it is. 

Jacky moves forward. He offers his discovery in his open balms. Jack doesnt move. 

"Look, pops.", Jacky says but Jack doesnt. He doesnt even blink. That stare so dead.

"It was out in the corn.", Jacky says. Jack finally looks at his son's open palm. He stares for a moment at the object.

He looks up to his boy as he slowly takes it in his own fingers.

A smooth, star shaped piece of metal. Strikingly similar to the thing the bus driver pulled out of the bus tire.   
Back at the bus, boys trek out the stranded bus into the expansive field.  
The bus itself is littered with half naked bodies angled all along the roof. Scott and his cronieshave laid out up there. 

Jake, Dante, Jonny, and others. Eyes closed. Basking in the late day sun.

"What the hell time is it?", Dante asks. "Half-past a monkey's ass. A quarter to his balls.", Jonny says. 

"That sun's getting pretty low.", Dante says. "What're you worried about?", Scott asks. 

"Someone doesnt show up soon, we're gonna be sitting out here tonight instead of Jenny Carlutti's party.", Dante says.

"What he means is, as returning champions, the odds of us getting lucky at that party for any of us-"

"Is about a million to one.", Scott says, cutting Jake off.   
Jake turns his head towards Scott and squints at him.   
"Whats your glitch, bitch?", Jake asks. Scott looks around to make sure hes not gonna be heard.

"Those Black boys at Cooper handed you your ass today. With a silver bow around it.", Scott says.

Dante sits up. "Hey, were you at the same game we were? 'Cause we won.", Dante says.

"Big fucking landslide.", Scott says. "Big enough, why dont you pull your pud out of the mud?", Dante says. 

"Why dont you lay the fuck down. Youre blocking my sun.", Jake says in Dante's shadow.

Betty at the two-way radio beside her seat.

"Say again. This is 226. Anyone read me? We are disabled out on east 9. Somewhere in the middle of Kissel County. Come back.", Betty says.

She's getting nothing. Says so in a look to coach Hanna having no luck on his cellphone.  
Betty hangs up the radio. "We gotta be in some kind a sun spot or something.", Betty says.  
"Well thats great 'cause no one's even gonna miss us till after dark.", Coach Hanna says. 

Beto Sanchella. A hispanic boy moves down the bus steps. 

"Un memento abuelito!", Beto says. He moves out into the field where several boys are lining up on the ridge. 

"What did he just call me?", Coach Hanna says. He turns to Beto. "What did you just call me?", He calls to Beto. 

Beto turns and smiles the Devil's smiles back at the Coach.  
The boys on the ridge pee into a gully. Izzy, Bucky, Double D, ect. 

"Maybe we get stuck out here and have to form our own society. You know? Like a commune, you know?", Double D says. 

His fellow fellows smiling at his wicked thought. 

"We've got some very beautiful women back there.", Double D says. 

"Yeah, youd have to be stuck out here till doomsday for those stuck up bitches to touch you.", Kimball says.

"Man Big K, you really know how to ruin a good piss.", Double D says.

Beto runs up. Some staring at what he takes out of his pants. Double D laughs.  
"Oh man, control yourself. Beto!", Double D says.  
"I cant help it, man. Riding on a bus does it to me every time!", Beto says.  
"Thats right, we're hoping its the bus.", Kimball says. 

They laugh but a sound comes softly from the distance. 

"Besa mi anillo, hermano mio!", Beto says. Kimball gives him an angry expression. "I said i love you like a brother.", Beto says. 

Chimes... Distant, delicate chimes...

The boys at the ridge stop and turn. The boys on the roof too. Squinting into the late day sun.

"What the hell is that?", Dante asks. Out on the ridge, the boys stand silent in the gentle breeze that brings the chimes to them. 

"Sounds like...", Izzy says, trying to figure out a good description of the sound. 

"Ice cream...", Double D says. Over a distant rise of country two-lane comes a rusty old ice cream truck.

Its playing a very tired and rusty sounding tune.

Years ago, it might have attracted children everywhere. Now each tone is a warped and ominous one.  
Betty moves down the bus steps and joins the coaches.   
"What in the holy...", Coach Hanna says. Boys on the roof sit up. Some stand. The vehicle takes on more detail. 

It reveals how rusty and old and utterly deranged it is. 

"Dwayne? Everybody back in the bus.", Coach Hanna say.

"Alright bathing beauties, you heard the man. Lets move it. Everybody off the top.", Coach Barnes calls to the boys on top of the bus. 

"Lets not make this a social event out there! Everybody back on the bus gentleman, now!", Coach Hanna hollers to the boys on the ridge.

Double D and the others move back back while Beto tries to pee faster.

Betty moves towards the back of the bus. The ice cream wagon is coming at a brisk pace.   
Its rusted face has a strange addition: a large metal bumper bolted beneath its headlights.  
The boys from the ridge step back on board. They stare out the rear window at the approaching truck.

"What in the fuck would you call that...?", Jake asks. "Beto, Lets go!", Coach Hanna yells. 

Betty at the back of the bus. The wagon slows a few feet from them. 

Its windows are dark and dusty. Whoever is in there cant be seen. 

Everyone crowds the window as this strange vehicle slowly starts to pass them.

On its side, a faded but smiling boy and girl and a large ice cream cone between them. 

It boast the legend: A PARTY FOR YOUR MOUTH!  
Bucky is at one of those windows, next to Double D.  
"I think you can kiss the idea of ice cream good-bye.", Bucky says. 

"Last time there was ice cream in that thing we weren't even born yet...", Double D says.

"Lets go, Beto!", Coach Barnes yells. Beto a few yards from the bus, watching the wagon roll by.

"You get through?", Betty says, nodding to Coach Hanna's phone. 

The Coach shakes his head no. He realizes this old truck might be their only chance to contact somebody. 

He waves.

"Hey!", Coach Hanna yells. It immediately picks up speed. 

"Son-of-a-bitch!", he yells. He mives towards the truck. "Hey!", he hollers. Alex watches it all but remains on the bus.  
He didnt much feel like socializing with anyone. Just Minxie. Alex can sense something about Minxie.   
Her scent is different than the others. Its nothing like hes ever sensed before. He wanted Minxie. 

He wanted to know what she is and why her scent is different.

All eyes watch as the truck rolls towards the horizon. Beto grabs his crotch and makes a show of it to the wagon.

"Hey, i got the party for your mouth right here, bitch!", Beto yells.   
Everyone on the bus laughs. All but Alex. He knew that was a bad move.

They laugh until the ice cream truck brakes to a sudden halt. The ice cream tune stops too.

Beto has quickly lost his bravado. The rusty old wagon sits in the middle of the teo-lane, idling roughly.

"Get your ass on that bus, Beto!", Coach Hanna says. Beto runs quickly onto the bus.

It is quiet on board. Everyone peering ahead at the idling truck. 

The Coach takes a wary step towards it. Then another, quickly closing the distance between him and the rusty old wagon.

It sends burps of nasty looking smoke out the broken exhaust. 

Coach Hanna about to round the driver side. He can almost see the window now.

The truck jolts! Its tires sqeal and it lurches forward as that horrible tune starts up again.  
The Coach is startled. He scrambles back, almost falling. Everyone watching is also startled.   
The ice cream truck speeds towards the dusky horizon. The boys on the roof have the best view as it finally drops from sight.

"Alright Eddie. Lets get going before that sun goes down.", Coach Hanna says.

Coach Hanna looks back at Betty and Coach Barnes. He takes one more look at the empty horizon. 

"Alright, Assholes and Elbows gentlemen! Off the top! Lets go!", Coach Barnes says. 

The sun sinking behind a cloud bank. Silhouetting the bus as one by one, The boys climb down onto the hood and down to the two-lanes.

"Watch it. Watch the hood coming down...", Betty says. 

Betty takes the driver seat and the bus' engine chugs back to life. The boys step back on board. Coaches finally come.

"Alright Betty. Lets get this mother rolling.", Coach Hanna says.

The big bus moves slowly off the shoulder and takes the two-lanes.


	36. -35-

The dusky sky silhouettes the cornfields of the Taggart Farm. 

Sounds of labor can be heard from the barn. Past the post puncher on its side. Parts of it laying on a tarp. 

Beyond that, Jacky is in safety goggles. He works in a shower of sparks. Hes welding in the bed of an old pick-up truck.

Butch lays in the long shadows of the dying sun as the flickers and flashes and glow of welding ignite the doorway of the old barn as well. 

Inside, someone works diligently in another fountain of sparks.  
Thrown down on a workplate is a long, nasty-looking piece of metal. With a ferociously pointed tip. A spear? A harpoon?  
The welder's mask comes up for a moment and we can look into the eyes of Jack Taggart. 

He stares ahead with that same look of the dead, tainted only by the small welling in his eyes. 

A look full of purpose.

The metal disc found in the cornfield has been nailed to the past at the center of the barn. 

The fiery sparks reflect in it as Jack returns to work. 

Back to the bus, it continues to chug down the endless highway as nearly full moon rises.   
Rhonda has managed a seat next to her brooding boyfriend.   
"You know you could talk about it. Might help a little bit.", Rhonda says.

Scott shakes his head a silent 'no'. "Whats there to talk about? What'd i play today?! Twelve minutes?", Scott says.

"Well, it was a great twelve minutes.", Rhonda says. Scott shakes his head. "Hanna has it out for me.", Scott says. 

Scott stares ahead at Coach Hanna talking to Coach Barnes. Coach Barnes looks back.

"Him and his little token white boy Barnes.", Scott says, continuing to stare at Hanna.

"I dont know. Maybe i got the wrong skin to get equal play on this team.", Scott says.

"I know you dont mean that. Maybe they just wanted to make sure everyone got a chance to play in the championship-", Rhonda tries ti help Scott.

"Everyone is not the reason we got to the championship.", Scott says. 

"Half the losers on this bus had nothing to do with us making it to state. I did.", Scott says.   
Double D hears this and turns around. At the same time, so did Alex. Scotty sees Double D look at him.   
"What the fuck are you looking at?", Scott snaps. Double D stares back. This could get ugly but Minxie sits up. 

She sits ip suddenly with a gasp. Loud enough to turn their heads. 

"Bad dream?", Chelsea asks. She looks at everyone. "Or a good one?", She whispers.

Minxie shakes her head no. "I guess it was.", She says. "You guess it was what?", Chelsea asks.

"That truck.", Minxie says. "What?", Rhonda asks. "I saw that ice cream truck.", Minxie says.

Alex listens in on their conversation. At the same time, Betty sees something ahead in the middle of the dark two-lanes. 

"You what?", Rhonda asks. "Girl, that wasnt a dream. That was a nightmare-"

"Jesus Christ!", Betty yells, cutting Chelsea off. Betty slams on the brakes.

The wheels lock up and the big bus skids along the asphalt. Its ragged tire flaps wildly while the others smoke.

The kids are thrown forward as the big six-wheeler screeches to a halt.

Alex hadnt embraced himself. He is throw from his seat and lands in the seat in front of him, next to Minxie.  
The bus swerves to a final stop some 20 yards before the rusty old ice cream truck.   
Sitting in the center of the road, angled across the two lanes in the glare of the bus' headlights. 

Playing its rusty old tune...

"What the hell?", Coach Hanna says. Minxie turns to Alex and then to Chelsea. Did her dream just come true?

Betty lays on her horn. The hearty blast echoes across the dark countryside. 

Some of the kids are getting out of thier seats now, straining to see for themselves.

Alex is included in getting up from his seat. "Back down, everybody. Sit tight.", Coach Barnes says. 

At the front of the bus, Coach Hanna and Betty scan the surrounding land. Just fields and fields.

"What do you think?", Coach Hanna asks. 

"Dont know.", Betty says. "What do you mean you don't know? Just drive around it.", Beto says. 

"Let someone plow into that thing doing 90?", Betty says and begins shift the gears.  
"We'd of been scattered all over the road if we didnt have a flat keeping our speed down.", Betty adds.   
The bus pulls onto the shoulder of the road. Angled to hit the ice cream truck with its hi-beams.

Coach Hanna looks to Coach Barnes. Whos gonna check it out now? 

Now Betty looks to Coach Barnes too. He is obviously the low man on the totem pole.

"Alright.", Coach Barnes says. He turns to Betty. "You gotta flashlight or something?", he asks. 

Betty pulls one out of the utility kit strapped to the side of her seat. Slaps the torch into the Assistant Coach's hand. 

"Try that radio again, huh?", Coach Hanna says. 

Betty opens the bus doors. Coach Barnes takes a look at Coach Hanna and steps out into the night.

"Wait!", Alex calls. Everyone turns to him. "Ill go with. Safety in numbers.", Alex says. He gets up and joins Coach Barnes.   
Betty gets back onto the radio. "Hey, this is Betty out in 226. Anyone read me?", Betty says. 

Both Alex and Barnes step down into the night air. Both stare ahead at the old truck. 

With a loud clank, Betty closes the doors behind them. Barns throws her a look. Betty shrugs, a bit embarrassed.

She then clicks the two-wayin frustration. 

"Goddammit! Its like a dead zone out here.", Betty hisses. Alex and Coach Barnes are upon the ice cream truck now.

"Hello?", Barnes calls out.

They wrap the side of the old thing with the flashlight.

Two loud bangs can be heard. They make their way up to the rusted driver-side door.   
Window is too dark and dirty to see through. Alex reaches out and grabs the handle.   
He tries it. Rusted and stuck. No suprise. Barnes throws a look back at the bus. It sits there on the shoulder.

Lights flaring out at them.

Both Coach and Alex at the ice cream truck. Alex really manhandles the door now. 

Hanna and the others watching with great interest. 

Dante, Jake, and some of the others from the rear seats have come forward slightly.

They crouch in the aisle.

With a loud creak, the wagon's door finally opens. Alex looks at Barnes. Barnes levels the flashlight inside. 

Both peering inside. The beam hots the empty driver seat and then moves into the back of the nasty old thing.

Barnes is unsure what hes looking at. Alex senses something. He backs away from the truck. 

Barnes switches places with Alex. He stands by the door. 

Then a slow, horrible dawning washes over him. His face pales and his eyes grow wide with horror...


	37. -36-

Coach Barnes stumble back from the truck. He falls on the asphalt. He staggers to his feet. Alex next to him.   
Coach Hanna and Betty jump from their seats, mounting panic from everyone.  
Barnes moves off quickly onto the shoulder of the road, crossing out of the headlights as he doubles over.

"Jesus christ!", Coach Hanna says. More boys crowding forward. 

"Alright, everyone back in their seats. Everyone sit down and shut up!", Coach Hanna hisses. 

Hanna stares back out. They cant even see Barnes and Alex now. No one can. The Coach hops down the bus steps.

"Wait a minute. Take some flares for the road.", Betty says. 

A loud bang is hear. Coach Barnes falls against the the bus doors. Breathless with Alex behind him. Palms out. 

They startle everyone. Both stare in at them. A pale face of terror.   
The doors open and he falls up the steps, reaching out for Hanna.   
"Highway Patrol!", Barnes says. "What the hells is the matter?", Coach Hanna asks.

Barnes points to the Ice Cream truck. Hes about to spill what he saw but then he sees all the faces of the kids watching him. 

He leans in to whisper to Hanna. What Hanna hears gives him a look of utter disbelief.

Barnes doesnt care if he believes or not. "Get the Highway Patrol out here, Betty!", Barnes hisses. 

"With what? I cant squeeze a fart outta this thing!", Betty says. 

Scott, Double D, and Kimball are even closer now. 

"Everyone stays on the bus. That means everyone. Scott sut down.", Coach Hanna says.   
Hanna nods to Jake. "Jakey, run point at the back of the bus.   
Drop a couple flares and keep an eye out for headlights. Everyone else sit tight.", Hanna says.

Hanna gets off the bus quickly. Barnes follows. Alex gets back on the bus and sits within the first few seats up front.

"Jakey, could you come out and ill kiss your ass a little bit more. My little Coach's Pet...", Scott says. 

Behind his back, Jake gives Scott the finger as he steps the the aisle. 

Betty flips open the emergency road kit and tosses Jake another flashlight. A flare too. 

Betty and Jake step onto the shoulder. Barnes pops his head back in the bus.

He looks at Bucky. "Close these doors.", Barnes hisses. Buck just stares at him. "Close 'em!", Barnes hisses.  
Coach Barnes joins the others on the shoulder as Bucky grabs the handle and closes the doors. 

He looks back at the team.

The 3 adults move towards the old wagon and Jake to the rear of the bus. 

That rusty old ice cream tune echoes across the fields. Jake looks in the distance. 

Just a moonlit road as far as the eye can see. A sudden banging on the rear window of the bus. 

Jake flicks on the flashlight. Scott, Jonny, and Dante flipping him off. 

At the ice cream truck, Betty goes to get behind the wheel. 

"Dont Betty. Better let me or Charlie.", Coach Barnes says. "Gimme the flashlight.", Betty says.   
"Betty, i mean it.", Coach Barnes warns. Betty snatches the flashlight away from Barnes. 

She cautiously peers inside with Coach Hanna. 

Bodies wrapped and roped in bloody sheets. Seven at least. More hanging from hooks on either side. One hook still empty. 

Hanna and Betty stare. Both immobilized by this horrible sight. 

Barnes hits the side of the truck with a loud bang, jarring them both. 

"Okay, can we do this, goddammit?!", Barnes hisses. "Im not getting inside this thing!", Betty hisses.

Coach Hanna forces himself into the driver seat. He fumbles with switches until the ice cream tunes stops.  
He releases the emergency brake. Betty and Coach Barnes at the back of the truck, preparing to push it forward.  
"Okay. Let it roll.", Coach Hanna says. The ice cream truck rolls forward. Hanna pilots it the soft dirt shoulder. 

A flare ignites in Jake's hands. Its redness etching his face. He moves down the two-lanes. He drops it.

On the back window is another series of banging. Jake turns this time to see 3 naked asses mooning him. 

The kids are staring at the back of the bus. Scott, Jonny, and Dante continue mooning him. In addition, they make cat-calls and hooting sounds. 

Alex watches and is disgusted with how humanity has evolved. Boys showing their asses and pressing it against the window. 

It made Alex wish he could go back in time to a more well-behaved era. Where kids were better behaved.

He turns back to watch the 2 adults out in front. 

The Coaches and Betty make their way back in the throw of the headlights. Izzy leans across the aisle to Alex.  
"Why is it the 'straightest guys' on the team are always the ones who find an excuse to flash their asses to each other?", Izzy asks. 

Both Alex and Bucky chuckle and take glances back. Bucky sitting in the driver seat. 

While everyone is distracted by the three mooning idiots, out the front windshield, Coach Hanna is picked up right off of his feet.

Barnes and Betty barely have time to flinch as Hanna is carried up over the bus and out of view.

Jake at the end of the bus can hear the Coach's screams and looks up. 

He looks up just in time to see the man flying high overhead. 

Hes rocketing across the night sky. Arms and legs flailing.

Whatever has him is too dark to see. Alex saw it and heard the screams. He knew he had come. Hes here.   
Jake turns to the back window. Scott, Jonny, and Dante are laughing at him, pulling up their pants, oblivious.  
The only 2 people on board who saw it happen, Minxie and Alex, just stare with an open mouth. 

"Minx'?", Chelsea says, concerned by the look on Minxie's face. "Did you see that?", Minxie asks. Alex looks back. "I saw.", Alex says. 

Betty and Coach Barnes look up at the sky in a daze. Coach Hanna is nowhere to be seen. 

"Where's the Coach?", Kimball asks. Minxie and Alex have no words. 

Alex has to blend in and act how he thinks a human would react to things like this. 

Alex just shakes his head 'no'. As if refusing to comment because hes acting like he still cant believe it. 

Jake bangs on the rear window. He points up to the sky. Dante, Jonny, and Scott confused as they peer up.

Jake rushes towards the front of the bus. He's met by Betty and Coach Barnes. They too have no words. 

All 3 just staring. Pale faces staring skyward. Scott coming out of his seat.

"Where the hell's the Coach, Minxie?", Scott asks. "I dont know.", Minxie says. 

"Something picked him up.", Alex says. All heads turn to his urgant whisper. "What?", Scott asks. Alex jumps from his seat.

"Somethibg picked him up!", Alex hisses. Everyone looks at Minxie for a second opinion. All she can do is nod her head. 

Someone outside slams on the doors and Bucky opens them.   
Jake blasts on board. He is stopped instantly by the stares of everyone.   
"What's going on out there?", Izzy asks. Jake just stands breathless. 

Out the window, Betty moves into the field. Flashlight beam streaking the sky. 

"Charlie!", Betty yells. Coach barnes on the bus steps. Hes shaken but he's trying not to show it.

"Bucky, get on that radio. See if you can reach anyone.", Coach Barnes says. Bucky dives to the radio and flips it on. 

Barnes turns to Jake. "Jake...", Barnes says. Jake looks at him. "What did you see?", Barnes asks. 

"What'd you see?", Jake responds. "Come on, did you see something or not?", Barnes asks.   
"He flew away...", Jake says. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?", Scott says.   
"What i just said!", Jake hisses. "People dont just fly the fuck away!", Scott hisses.

"Sit down, Scott.", Coach Barnes says. "What is going on out there-", Scott continues but is soon cut off by Barnes.

"I said sit the fuck down and shut up, Goddammit!", Barnes yells. All the kids look at him in shock.

"You too, Jake. Everybody.", Barnes says. Scott glares at Barnes but doesn't move...


	38. -37-

"You got a problem with me?", Barnes says. Alex can feel the creature is near. He can sense him and smell him.   
"No, you got one with me?", Scott asks. "Do i what?", Barnes asks. "You heard me.", Scott says. 

"We dont have time for bullshit scotty, go sit down-", Barnes says but got cut off at the end.

Hes cut off by something grabbing him, jolting him violently. 

Hes hit with such force, his hands grip the steel bannisters of the steps. 

He looks down. Eyes as wide as they can go. 

Great gray talons are sunk deep into his shoulders.

Before he could even scream, he is ripped off of his feet. Ge grapples the bannisters for dear life.  
Scott reaches out, just catching Barnes by the lower legs. Bucky, Double D, Kimball, and Izzy jump onto Scott.

Barnes screams as a terrible tug of war begins. 

The talons pull him higher. His head comes up into the night air between two boots somehow anchored to the roof of the bus. 

The boys are no match. Whatever has Barnes, it is strong enough to move all of them. 

"What the fuck?!", Double D hisses. 

Betty screams towards the bus from the field. Her flashlight flickering on the commotion going on.

She sees it all. Barnes flailing madly in the clutches of something dark and ragged.   
Its impossibly perched on the roof of the bus with massive wings flapping on its back.   
Barnes is dragged further up. Out of view now except his legs. Scott and the others hanging on get yanked up too. 

Barnes catching a quick flash of a horrible mouth. Rows of small razor-edged teeth. 

Barnes screams as his legs are yanked out of scott's grasps. 

Boys and girls falling down the bus steps and back down the aisle. 

Breathless Betty arrives just in time to see Barnes dragged into the sky.

Kids diving for windows, crowding them. Cramming them. They all try to see where the coach is going.

They can only hear him scream all the way up into oblivion. 

Betty looks down at Scott at the bottom of the steps. Thinking fast, she helps him up. 

She practically throws him back on the bus and dives for the handle to the bus doors. 

Betty pulls the bus doors closed. 

She catches her breath and turns to look down the shadowy bus. The whole team staring back at her in shock. 

She moves quickly into the driver's seat and turns the engine over.   
"Betty...", Scott calls out for her. She looks back. Scott in the middle of the aisle.  
"Go sit down.", Betty says with a soft voice. Her voice down to almost a whisper.

"What was it?", Scott asks. "How do i know what the hell it was?", Betty says. 

"You were two feet away.", Scott starts to argue. "You see how fast it happened?", Betty asks. 

Betty glares at him. No answer in her face. The engine turns over this time. She revs it, not looking back. 

"It had wings. Big fucking wings...", Alex says. They all look at Alex. Bucky now next to Alex. 

Minxie and Alex hear it first. She rises slowly out of her seat her eyes fixed above her. 

An inky black swear flies past the right side of the bus. Its big enough to blot out the moonlight in each window as it speeds by.

It makes some kind of wailing sound as it passes. 

People jump from their seats, trying to follow its trajectory. They watch out the back window. 

No sign of it. This thing is big and its fast. Alex tries to read his every move. He tries to make a plan to counter act his moves. 

Hes trying to keep everyone safe. Especially Minxie.

Frightened looks and unspoken fear everywhere. They close their windows. They slide them up and shut, locking them.  
With another loud swoosh, it rips down the left side of the bus in the other direction now.   
It swoops up to avoid all but the tiniest throw of light from the high beams.

Something utterly unreal is buzzing the school bus 

"Move this piece of shit!", Alex hisses. Betty scans the night sky as she revs the engine again, grinding the gears. 

The bus lurches forward. She swerves past the ice cream truck and onto the two-lanes. 

Kids still crowding the windows. Some out of thier seats. 

"Everybody in their seats and now!", Betty hisses. "How fast can this thing go?", Alex asks. 

"Im gonna find out.", Betty says. The bus builds up speed as it chugs down the moonlit two-lane. 

Some very nervous kids look out the windows. For what? They dont know.

The flat tire slapping the asphalt with its shredded rubber. 

Suddenly, a sound above them. Something on the roof? Betty is totally spooked. 

She swerves a little. Some of the kids look up. Scott too. In the back seat, he locks eyes with Double D.   
Both boys doing little to hide their fear. Scott turns to look out the rear window and the creeper swings down.  
It stares in upside down. "Shit!", Scott yells. Alex turns back. He thinks quickly. He gets from his seat and runs towards the back. 

Scott and his cronies leap off the back seats. They start climbing over each other to get away from it.

Betty slams on the brakes. Everyone flies forward. Alex stands his position by grasping nearby seats. 

The emergency exit door flies open but the creature is gone. Bucky starts patting on Betty's back.

"Go-go-go-go!", Bucky yells. "Everyone get into seats and hold on!", Alex yells. Everyone does as he says.

They all prepare for some sort of impact. Betty accelerates again in the middle of braking.

As the bus lurches forward, the centrifugal force sends some people pack down the aisle. 

Some kids start sliding and tumbling towards the open exit like it was a gaping mouth. 

Alex at the very back makes sure no one falls out. However, Jonny, Jake, Kimball, and Dante come flying towards Alex.

All 5 spill out the open door, hitting the pavement hard and rolling.   
They litter the asphalt as the bus tries to skid to a haphazard stop.   
Scott and the others are thrown back towards the front of the bus as it finally stops. 

Betty gets out of her seat and rushes to the back of the bus but is stopped by Scott. 

"Dont go out there, Betty!", Scott says. 

Bodies on the asphalt. Most are moving, getting up on their elbows, sitting up. Some are scraped and cut but all are dazed. 

"Jake? Dante look at me!", Betty says. 

Scott takes a panic look skyward. He catches sight of the hinges on the open door. 

The top one is bent. Something very powerful ripped this emergency door open.

"Get up, Goddammit!", Scott yells. Jake, Kimball, and Dante are in obvious pain. They sit up, staring at him. 

"Move your fucking asses!", Scott hisses. 

Dante laboring to his feet. Jake slower. Betty goes to hop down but scott stops her again.

"Dont!", Scott hisses. "What was it?", Betty asks. 

Scott doesnt know how to describe what he saw. "You saw it. What the hell was it?", Betty asks. 

The fallen are returning now. Betty and Scott pull them up into the bus. Alex almost there. 

He backtracks to pick up something. "Somebody's fucking tooth, Man!", Jake hisses. 

Scott and Betty turn to Alex. "Get in here, Asshole-", Scott says but is cut off by Alex put his index finger up.

"My name is Alex. Not asshole.", Alex says. He slaps the tooth into Scotts hand. "Its got a gold cap.", Alex says. 

Scott becomes pale again. He knows this tooth. 

"Jonny!", Scotty hollers...


	39. -38-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got news that the Jeepers Creepers #4 is in the works. Im excited and cant wait for it to come out!

Scott looks skyward. "Jonny!", he screams. Alex gets the flashlight from Jake.   
He blasts the flashlight down the dark road. It finds a distant and groggy Jonny crawling out of the darkness towards them.   
"Jonny!", Betty hollers. "Come on, back this thing up!", Scott demands. Betty runs back towards her seat. 

Deep in the adjoining field, the Creature is holding between his thumb and forefinger is another one of his pointed metal discs. 

With a flick of the wrist, it is in flight. Flying low to the ground and it slices through grass towards the bus.

It flies right into the bus' back tire, next to the already flat one.

The right side of the bus drops down even more. Betty stares shocked. She looks back at scott and the others.

"What the hell was that?", Izzy asks. Betty rushes to the end of the bus. "We blew another tire.", Betty says. 

"We what?", Scott asks. "Cant you feel it? We're flat on this side!", Betty says. 

The tire next to the shredded one is indeed flat as a pancake... With a Creeper star sticking out of it.  
Alex saw it coming from miles away. "What do you mean we blew another tire? How?!", Scott hisses.   
Nervous and panicky chatter goes around on the bus. "Youre telling me we cant back this thing up a few yards?", Jake asks. 

"We cant move!", Betty says. "Two fuckin feet man-"

"We are parked. What do you want me to do?", Betty cuts Jake off. 

"Jonny! Get up!", Scott yells. 

Jonny stares at him. Hes one scared looking kid. "Get up, Goddammit! You gotta do this yourself!", Scott yells.

Jonny gets up on his knees now. He sees Scott and the others check the sky again.

Jonny suddenly remembers how he got out here. He looks to the sky in a panic. 

Alex still waiting for Jonny outside the bus. Alex can sense hes near.

"Jonny, Look at me!", Alex calls to Jonny. "Jonny! Dont look at anything else. Just look at me. Walk forward.", Alex encourages Jonny.

He stands, wobbly. He winces. One foot hurt bad. No pressure can be put on it. Eyes skyward.

Jonny stares ahead at Alex and Scott as a shadow falls over him. Everyone looks up. 

The moon traversed by a small cloud drift. 

"Dont worry about that! Jonny, just move your ass!", Scott yells. 

Jonny is in a greater panic and starts hobbling toward the bus. "Thats it, Jonny! You are doing it, Man. Come on!", Scott encourages. 

Another shadow. Jonny increases him limping speed.   
"Thats right, Jonny. That aint nothing. Just come ahead!", Scott says.   
Jonny is almost to the bus now. He struggles across the moonlit asphalt.

Jonny gets to the open door now. He reaches up. "Easy kiddo. Take it easy...", Alex says. 

Scott and Betty grip both his arm. Jonny winces as he lifts his leg. 

Sock and tennis shoe are bloody. He cant do it. "Its okay. Take it easy.", Betty says. 

Betty checks the sky. Alex right behind Jonny. Betty jumps down with Alex. 

Both takes a hold of Jonny. Both lift him up to the waiting hands of Scott and Jake.   
All this happening as a distant speck leads up before the distant moon.  
"You guys know anything about first aid?", Betty asks. "Bucky!", Scott hollers.   
Bucky rushes up. "Just keep him off the foot.", Bucky says. 

Betty hoist herself up. "Okay. Lay him down and keep him off the foot-", Betty says but is soon cut off.

That distant speck is suddenly crashing down full-size into Betty. 

Her face smashed against the asphalt with the enormous weight of the creature atop of her.  
The creature is a hideous thing with its wings outstretched. Coat hanging off its reptilian form. 

Alex is on the ground from the inpact of the creature coming down on Betty. 

The creature looks at Alex. His fangs are bared as it sits on Betty's back.

Jake and Scott falling back with Jonny. Pandemonium breaking out all around them. 

The creeper looks right at them. It lets out a hideous cry. 

The creature turns back to Alex. "Let her go, you son of a bitch.", Alex hisses.   
The creature launches into the air again. Its claws dug into Betty.   
He drags the woman up like some roddent in the clutches of a hawk. 

He leaves behind an eerie silence. Alex gets up from the asphalt. He brushes himself off. 

The bus looks empty. That is until faces slowly creep up to the windows, looking up. 

Jake braves a quick reach and swings the rear door shut. 

Bent hinges dont make it a good fit. He tries it again. Both times let out a band clunking sound. 

With no more adults among the remaining. The kids are now on their own. 

Alex was the only one left to be considered an adult. Alex of course junps back on the bus before Jake closes it. 

"Okay. Everyone needs to remain calm. We will get through this.", Alex says. 

They all hang on. Bucky back at the front of the bus at the radio. They all try to comfort each other until helps arrive...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, i havent been writing alot lately. Motivation has been sooooooo low. I did manage to some what get some writing done. However, only a few more chapters left. Then there will be a hiatus until the next movie comes out.


	40. -39-

Back at the Taggart Farm, A short-wave radio and police scanners sits in the shadows on the kitchen table.  
A radio voice can be heard on this frequency. "Copy that. We did a drive-by. Found no evidence of forced entry.  
Asking unit 7 to drive around the general area of the store. Over.", A voice says on the radio and scanners.

A hand reaches out across the dark kitchen table and tunes a different channel.

"We are going 10-7 at the Country Kitchen for a little coffee and pie. Copy that, Central?", a voice says over the radio. 

"I just got 2 calls. Ten miles apart. Both reporting abductions.", the voice adds.

Jack reaches out slowly and turns the volume up. 

"All units be informed this should be 10-36 information. I repeat, 10-36 information.", Another voice says on the radio.

"Someone burning a marijuana field out there tonight? 'Cause these two stories are way, way out, Baby.", voice #3 says. 

Sudden movement. Jack is on his feet. He blasts out the back door as the radio plays on in the dark kitchen.

"All units, this should be strictly 10-36 information.", Voice #4 says.   
Clanging could be heard not far from the farm house.   
Several of the handmade harpoons clang noisily into the bed of Jack's old pick up. 

Jacky watches this. He is in the bed of the old pick up tightening bolts on the crude, makeshift pulpit situated behind the cab.

One look at dad and his son knows what to do. 

The boy throws down the wrench and hops out of the truck bed. Dad swings into the passenger seat. 

He switches on the police scanners above him. 

"Yeah, Central. Im out at the Havenville farm. We got one hysterical family out here. Im gonna need to go 10-36.", Voice #5 says.

Jacky runs with an anxious Butch out of the barn.   
The dog jumps in the truck bed as the boy swings in behind the wheel.  
"Kissel County.", Jack says. The engine roars wheels spinning as the old pick-up rockets around the yard in a U-turn.

They then race down the drive towards the two lane.

Back on the bus, a very subdued busload of kids sitting in the darkness. They sit at the windows searching the night sky.

"Oww...", Jonny says. Bucky peels Jonny's sock off his foot. His ankle is swelling and discolored.

"Not good, man. Its sprained or broken.", Bucky says. 

Alex takes this time while everyone is up front to talk to Minxie. 

He noticed earlier she was asleep and had jolted awake like she had a nightmare. 

"What did you see?", Alex asks. "What do you mean?", Minxie asks. "Your dream. What did you see?", Alex says. 

She clears her throat. "It was like it had become day all over again. Fields. Endless fields like where we are now.   
I remember looking out the window. Like i was trying to see something. Thats when i saw a boy. A kid our age.   
Dark hair. A rip in his shirt, around his belly button. He had a ripped pant loop.", Minxie pauses.

Alex knows exactly who she saw. She saw Darry. He appeared to her to warn them. 

"Its like i was the only one who could see him. He then pointed back. As if he was trying to tell us to turn around.

He then pointed into the field. He fades away as we continued to drive. I looked forward only to see the same boy.

He was still pointing backwards. He then started to scream something. As if to warn us about this thing.

I couldnt see nor understand what he was saying. I only got glimpses of what he was saying. 

It was like he was saying turn around or turn back. He was doing the hand movements to turn around. 

I got a better look at the tear in his shirt. A rose. Before i could blink, he changed.", Minxie says.

"Changed? What do you mean changed?", Alex asks. 

She hesitates. "He turned into another boy. He had blood all over him. A big gash on the side of his head.

He looked younger. Maybe 14. Blonde hair.", she pauses again to remember all the details. 

Alex knew she was now talking about Billy. He can see what she had dreamed.   
He sees what she saw and knows both boys were trying to warn her.   
"They switched back and forth as if they were the same person. Both warning me anout what was in the field.

Then, i saw it.", she whispers the last part. "Saw what?", Alex asks. 

She hesitates to answer once more. "Saw what, Minxie?", Alex asks. 

"In the field... something in all black came running through the fields. His speed was inhuman. 

He came running right at us. He threw something at the bus. Not sure what exactly it was.  
He was the one who popped the tires. He popped them both so we couldnt move.  
He wanted us trapped.", Minxie says. Tears well up in her eyes.

"Nobody's phone works?!", Rhonda says. She tries her phone. Nothing. "Nobody's fucking phone?", she asks. 

Several phones are produced, flipped open and dialed. Lots of waiting and dialing again.

"How far are we from everyone? This is Kissel County, right? Its not that big.", Chelsea says.

Chelsea tries to hold it together. She starts dialing on her phone. 

"The interstate should be somewhere close. They have a drive-in somewhere out here, dont they?", Chelsea asks.

"They dont have shit out here. Just look out the fucking window!", Dante hisses.  
Dante storms to the front of the bus. He stares out the windshield.  
"Look, someone else has gotta hold this thing closed with me!", Jake says. 

Jake is holding the back door shut. Its too bent to stay close. 

Alex is nearby but waits for anyone else to take over for Jake. 

"I mean it. Look at this thing! Come on. Who voted me the doorman?", Jake hisses.

"Whats it doing? Picks people up and what? Takes 'em some place? Whats it doing?", Double D asks.

"Feeding its fucking babies. Who cares?", Beto says. 

"Some place not too far away. It keeps coming back and real fast.", Kimball says. 

"Likes its hoarding people. You know? Stockpiling them.", Double D says. 

"An abandoned slaughter house.", Alex says. 

They all look at Alex. "Thats where he takes them. Before that, the old church.", Alex says.  
Every head in the place slowly turns to him. "What the hell are you talking about?", Scott says.  
"Hes right.", Minxie says. They all turn to her. "What are you guys talking about?", Scott says. 

"I dont know...", Minxie says. "You dont know?", Scott asks. "It was a dream i had.", Minxie says.

Scott looks at Alex. "You dreamed about this thing?", Scott asks. 

Minxie stares up at Scott. Alex glares at Scott. "I dont know.", Minxie says. "Then shut up.", Scott says. 

Once the words came out of scott's mouth, Alex became inraged. Scott pushes past her and Alex towards Dante.

"We are thing right now. We are trying to think of what the fuck to do.", Scott says. 

"Hey! More flares!", Dante says. He holds up flares. "And a gun to go with!", He says, holding up the Flare gun. 

Dante has the emergency kit open. A portable search light sits next to five smaller flares. 

Scott holds one up. "We fire one off?", Scott asks. 

"Its a weapon, Man!", Dante says. 

"Dont you watch fucking horror movies? They always shoot the fucking thing in the mouth with a flare.", Dante hisses.

"What're you talking about the mouth?", Scott asks. 

"The eyes, the mouth, wherever they can get him! You go for the soft spot!", Dante says.

"This isnt a movie, Dante!", Scott hisses.

"I know its not a movie.", Dante says. Scott cuts Dante off by getting in his face.   
"You gonna get close enough to shoot this thing in the fucking balls, huh?", Scott asks.   
"Hey, Back off man!", Dante hisses. Scott glares at him a moment longer and walks away. 

"We dont even know if its got balls.", Dante points out. 

All the while, Alex remains quiet. Not saying a word. Just waiting for the right moment to act.

"Bucky, what else is on board? Anything that could double as a weapon?", Double D asks.

"Its a bus, not a tank.", Bucky says. "Yeah but tools? A crow bar? A jack?", Double D says. 

Jake ties the back door with a towel rope. Alex sees that. He makes sure everyone was occupied.

He undoes the towel and manages to get the door jammed. No one is exiting nor entering that back door....


	41. -40-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im trying so hard to finish this story. Im half way through Jeepers Creepers 2. Im hoping everyone likes the story so far. ❤️

"There's gotta be a place where they stash this stuff.", Jake says. "Whats this?", Izzy says.  
He discovers canvas sheathers along the floor of the bus.   
"Track and field. Big meet tomorrow in Poho County.", Bucky says. "Javelins? We got spears on this bus?", Izzy asks. 

Izzy peels the canvas case off the top of one. It has a sharp tip.

"Spears with sharp metal tips?", Izzy asks. "They're also 8 feet long.", Bucky says. 

Izzy steps in the middle of it. He bends the tip towards him.   
"What're we gonna do? Try and shishkabob him?", Kimball asks. 

"You got other options?", Izzy asks. Woth a loud snap, the Javelin snaps in 2. Scott turns to Izzy.

"Well, one of 'em's not to sit out here and wait for that thing to come back so we can poke it with sticks!", Scott hisses.

Izzy slides the first half out of its case. He tests its weight. 

While they all mess with Javelins, Minxie and Alex have made their way to the front of the bus.   
Minxie turns away from the discussion and looks back at the bus doors.   
Her eyes grow so wide, they start to well up with tears. Alex notices and he too looks.  
"Fuck...", Alex says under his breath. "We dont know its coming back.", Rhonda says. 

"We need a plan either way.", Izzy says.

"What else you wanna do? Make slingshots outta jockstraps?", Scott asks. 

Both Alex and Minxie whirl around. They wave their hands silence everyone. 

Minxie's pale look panics Izzy and Scott as both her and Alex motion ever so quietly behind them. 

The boys move cautiously forword. Minxie and Alex back away. The boys move closer.

The door comes into view. A dark, cloaked figure is staring in. 

The brim of a ragged hat shadows its face. What it wears could be rags from a scarecrow.  
Nullified faces staring back at it. Scott waves madly for everyone to "get down and lay low".  
Everyone ducks down below window level. Seats visible from the bus doors empty quickly and quietly.

Its bowed head rises up. Nose almost touching the panes of the door. 

There can be no mistake, its trying to sniff through the glass. 

Izzy steps back. He proceeds to bump into Scott. He stumbles and by the time they right themselves...

The figure is no longer at the door. 

A silent panic filters down the bus. Faces huddled below the windows in every seat. 

Jakes braves a peek above window level. The Creeper's face rises up with his.  
Only its eye closed in the middle of a deep inhale.  
Jake ducks down quickly again. His flashlight clutched to him.

The Creeper's eyes open. He strains his eyes to look down at Jake. 

Jake is practically under his seat now. He stares across the aisle to Rhonda and the others.

All are caught by its strange, dark grey-ish skin. Claw-like tentacles around its face.

Dark, strangely human eyes harbor in that clearly inhuman head. 

It presses his face closer to the glass as it inhales again. It seems to savor the surrounding air.

Tracing it in a path that leads down to Jake again. 

Jake is about to move but Rhonda shakes her head "no", stopping him from moving.  
Jake looks more like a frightened boy than one of the biggest boys on the varsity team.

He looks at Rhonda helplessly.

The Creeper surprises everyone when he backs away from the window now and starts walking down the length of the bus.

The kids move with him. Alex tries to figure out what hes doing.   
They track him along the window. They crowd the aisle.  
Jake looks back at the rear door. The one he had tied with a gym towel. No more towel and it seems to be shut. 

Suddenly, the door opens as much as it can. Only a slight crack.

Everyone flails back. Izzy brandishing the javelin as a weapon. Dante levels the flare gun. 

Jake blasts the rear door with the flashlight.

No Creeper can be seen. That is until a sudden and staccato sniffing draws everyone's attention lower.  
Lower to the small crack where the back door had opened up.   
The Creeper's nose presses inside the crack. Its sniffing is so intense, its nostrils flutters at an inhaman rapidity.

"What the fuck is this thing doing?", Double D asks. 

"Whats it look like its doing?", Alex hisses. The Creeper rises up in the door window now. 

Eyes peering in. Somehow singling Alex out of the mass of cowering kids. 

Alex is the only one standing but behind the group of kids.   
Dante is immobilized by the wicked smile of this foul creature. The rows of teeth.  
He almost flinches when the Creeper winks at him. 

"What the fuck?", Dante barely manages to whispers. 

"We're dreaming...", Rhonda says. She turns to Minxie. "Right Minx? This is your dream and we're all in it. 

'Cause that thing couldn't be there. Not if this is real!", Rhonda hisses. 

The Creeper's grayish hand moves to the sides of the bus. It grips the sides. 

It drops its head back and takes an even deeper inhale.  
Like a gourmet chef enjoying the bouquet of a savory dish.   
This time it stops mid-sniff. He turns slowly into the window. This time, it presses its nose to the glass.

Eyes leveling at the terrified kids staring back at it. 

The Creeper's grey and leathery hands curls those hideous fingers and points directly at them.

Dante points to himself. Me? The Creeper lowers his brow. His eyes burning out. 

Scott then points to himself. The Creeper grins at him. His razor sharp teeth exposed.  
Scott freaks out. "Get that light off of him!", Scott hisses. Jake lowers the light.  
The Creeper still grinning. Scott moves out of the way. Minxie is right behind him. 

The Creeper grins even bigger. It only angers Alex seeing The Creeper grinning at her.

She moves out of the way. Bucky is behind Minxie. Hes frozen and cant move. 

Bucky points to himself. The Creeper brings his hand up. He makes a little finger gun. 

He points it at Bucky and moves his index finger like hes pulling the trigger on a gun. 

Bucky moves to the side. Kimball right behind him. The Creeper gestures him to just move. 

Then it comes to Double D. Behind double D is Alex. He looks at Double D. He points to Double D.   
It smiles at him with a horrible grin. His grin is wider than before.

"That is fucked up man. I think he likes you most of all Scarecrow.", Kimball whispers to Double D.

"Shut the fuck up...", Double D whispers back. 

He moves to the side. Then theres Alex. 

Alex steps forward. The Creeper's horrifying grin fades. His eyes focus hard on Alex. 

Everyone can see it. Him and Alex share an intense glare. 

The creature rolls his eyes and then proceeds to press his tongue to the window and lick the window. 

The Creeper grapples the rear door with both hands. He wants to get inside.

Dante takes a terrified step forward leveling the flare gun at it.   
"Dont fire that thing in here.", Izzy hisses. Dante flashes a look at Izzy.   
"Hes right. Itll fill this place up like a smoke bomb.", Double D says. 

The door looks like its starting to come more and more unjammed withthe pressure of The Creeper.

"Bucky! Get on those front doors and get ready to open 'em.", Scott orders. 

The door opens wider with more pressure The Creeper puts on it. 

"Do it!!", Scott yells. 

Behind The Creeper, a light is glowing. "I dont care man. 

It comes inside, im gonna cream this thing.", Dante says, keeping the flare gun leveled. 

The Creeper turns slowly from the back of the bus. He stares down the two lanes...

**Author's Note:**

> For those wondering, the title came from a line in the song Jeepers Creepers.


End file.
